Russian hacker detained in Guam as defence says Maldives' arrest unlawful

Transfer of Russian national Roman Seleznyov to the U.S. has been delayed after Seleznyov’s defence in Guam claimed that his arrest from Maldives was illegal.

Seleznyov was arrested in Maldives in relation to charges of bank and computer fraud in the U.S. and transferred to the U.S. territory of Guam on July 7.

Patrick Civille, a Guam based attorney representing the Russian citizen said that Seleznyov’s defense has submitted the necessary petitions to the local court and that they have demanded his immediate release, as well as the dismissal of his case.

According to Civille, the motion raises serious legal questions on how Seleznyov “was taken into custody by agents of the United States Secret Service while physically present in the Republic of the Maldives”.

The U.S. State Department has emphasized that the government in the Maldives had expelled Seleznyov before he was transferred to Guam.

Seleznyov was scheduled for a July 22 court hearing on Guam on U.S. authorities' plans to transfer him to face charges before a District Court in Seattle. However, the defendant has asked that the July 22 hearing be delayed to give him time to file additional court documents.

The defendant's father, Russian Member of Parliament Valery Seleznyov previously protested the arrest and made accusations that Seleznyov was kidnapped. Moscow has also demand that the Maldives government provides necessary explanations for Seleznyov's arrest.

Maldives Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon and Attorney General Mohamed Anil met with the senior officials of the Russian Embassy in Colombo and said that Maldivian authorities had arrested Roman Valerevich Seleznyov in relation to an Interpol Red Notices.