A court in Moscow has prolonged pretrial detention for a Russian citizen charged with high treason and espionage for the United States until April 5.
Moscow's Lefortovo Court announced on February 9 that the ruling was made February 3 and that the case against Yevgeny Petrin, who was arrested eight months ago, is classified and therefore no more details can be disclosed.
Petrin's lawyer, Andrey Stebnyov, says his client has pleaded not guilty.
Media reports in Russia cite Petrin's brother as saying that Petrin used to work for Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and quit the agency in 2013.
Reports also say that Petrin was an employee of the Moscow Orthodox Patriarchate's department for external ties and worked in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.