A Moscow judge has rejected political analyst Alexander Kynev’s appeal against being held in pre-trial detention on drug trafficking charges despite growing concerns about a serious injury he sustained when he was arrested, the exiled news outlet Mediazona reported Thursday.
Kynev was arrested at his Moscow apartment last month on charges of attempting to sell a large amount of drugs. He was later hospitalized inside a Moscow detention center for bone fractures and other injuries.
A lower Moscow court ordered Kynev to be placed in pre-trial detention until Nov. 24, with details of the case remaining withheld from the public. He denies the charges, which carry a punishment of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Kynev appeared at the Moscow City Court appeal hearing via video link with his leg in a cast. Kynev’s defense team warned that he faces permanent disability without proper medical care and crutches.
“If Kynev doesn’t get medical help soon, he’s going to end up disabled,” his attorney Vera Goncharova told the judge.
However, the judge rejected the defense’s request for house arrest or other forms of restrictions, ruling that Kynev will remain in custody until at least Nov. 24.
Kynev, who wrote regular opinion columns for The Moscow Times before it was designated an “undesirable” organization in 2024, has worked as a political consultant since the 1990s, when he was first involved with the campaigns of the liberal Yabloko party.
Over the years, he has worked for a number of independent political organizations, including the now-disbanded election observer Golos.
He remained in Russia despite growing political oppression following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kynev was a leading commentator on the Sept. 18-20 State Duma elections before his arrest
He estimated a far lower turnout and vote share for the ruling United Russia party than the official results, warning that the party’s record haul of 349 out of 450 seats could backfire on the Kremlin.
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