WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US prosecutors are expecting to receive an interim report within about six to seven weeks on the mental health of Russian national Yevgeniy Nikulin, who is facing hacking charges, his lawyer Arkady Bukh told Sputnik on Friday.
“We expect that prosecutors will get the report on his condition in a month and half,” Bukh said. According to court documents, US judge William Alsup decided to hold the next hearing on Nikulin’s mental competency on February 12, 2019. He also said that the examiner’s report shall be provided to the court by February 5.
Bukh said he does not foresee Nikulin appearing in court because the report will be read to interested parties.
Following a court hearing on October 9 the judge recommended transferring Nikulin from jail to a hospital in either Los Angeles, California or the state of Missouri until the next hearing, the lawyer added.
“Usually clients agree with such changes as these conditions are more comfortable,” he said. Doctors have to determine then whether Nikulin can appear before the court or not, Bukh explained. “They will treat him if they decide he is sick,” Bukh said. “If they determine that his disease is incurable it may lead to withdrawing of charges or even transfer to Russia.”
Russian Hacker Gets 12 Years in Jail for Largest Data Theft in US History
In 2016, Nikulin was arrested in the Czech Republic on a US warrant for allegedly hacking into computers belonging to LinkedIn, Dropbox and the Formspring online services. Czech authorities extradited Nikulin to the United States on March 29. Nikulin pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
Russian authorities, who charged Nikulin with Internet fraud in 2009, requested his extradition on the same day as the United States, but the Czech Justice Ministry granted the US request. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow was outraged by the decision of the Czech authorities to extradite Nikulin to the United States.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
