A U.S. musician and former paratrooper named Michael Travis Leake, 51, has been arrested in Moscow on drug dealing charges. His court appearance was televised, revealing him locked inside a metal cage.
Leake, who was previously a songwriter and musician in the Russian rock band "Lovi Noch" ("Catch the night"), was shown on state television channels, with one image capturing him detained on June 6 in Moscow, lying on the floor in his underpants and a T-shirt, with his hands restrained behind his back.
According to a statement on the Telegram messaging app by Moscow's courts of general jurisdiction, the Khamovniki District Court imposed a measure of restraint on Leake, who is accused of running a drug dealing business involving young people. He will remain in custody until August 6, 2023. It remains unclear whether Leake has legal representation, and Reuters was unable to contact him as he is currently in Russian custody. Messages sent to the band he was associated with went unanswered.
Leake's apartment was reportedly found to contain a suspicious substance, as reported by REN TV.
The U.S. State Department spokesperson acknowledged the arrest of a U.S. citizen in Moscow and stated that they pursue consular access and provide appropriate consular assistance in such cases. However, it is not confirmed whether U.S. officials have been granted access to Leake.
According to Russia's Interfax news agency, if found guilty, Leake could face a prison sentence of up to 12 years. A source familiar with the situation revealed to Reuters that Leake's rock group had not performed a concert since 2019. Upon his arrival in Moscow, Leake worked as an English teacher and assisted in translating songs for Russian bands.
It is worth noting that the United States has been advising its citizens to leave Russia due to the risks of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies, particularly since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in February of the previous year.
Several high-profile cases involving U.S. citizens detained in Russia have garnered attention, including the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap after being sentenced to nine years for possessing cannabis oil vape cartridges. Another notable case is that of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year sentence for espionage charges, which the U.S. government and the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on espionage charges, also deny.
0 Comments