Political analyst Alexander Kynev will remain in pretrial detention through at least Nov. 24 after Moscow City Court rejected his appeal, despite defense warnings that his injuries could leave him permanently disabled.
Before his arrest, Kynev commented on the Sept. 18-20 State Duma elections, The Moscow Times reported. His estimates for turnout and United Russia’s vote share were far below official results, the outlet said. Kynev also warned that the party’s 349 seats in the 450-seat chamber could backfire on the Kremlin, according to The Moscow Times.
Kynev entered political consulting in the 1990s, working on campaigns for the liberal Yabloko party. He later worked with independent political organizations, including Golos, an election-monitoring group that has since disbanded. The Moscow Times reported that he remained in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mediazona reported Thursday that Moscow City Court rejected Kynev’s appeal. A lower court had ordered him detained through Nov. 24, while details of the case remain withheld from public view, The Moscow Times reported.
The Moscow Times reported that Kynev joined the appeal hearing remotely with his leg in a cast. His lawyer, Vera Goncharova, asked judges to replace detention with house arrest or another restriction. The defense warned that without proper medical care and crutches, Kynev could face permanent disability.
Kynev received treatment for fractures and other injuries at a medical facility inside a Moscow detention center, The Moscow Times reported. Authorities arrested him at his Moscow apartment last month, accusing him of trying to sell a large quantity of drugs. Kynev denies the charges. The Moscow Times reported that a conviction could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
The lower court’s detention order runs through Nov. 24, according to The Moscow Times.
