Kyiv Court Refuses to Release Inna Kardash, Suspected of Espionage, from Custody
The Belarusian citizen was detained on January 21 this year on suspicion of espionage for the State Security Committee, and her lawyer asked the court to overturn the first instance court's decision to extend her detention and to release her on bail and a recognizance not to leave.
Inna Kardash. Photo: Facebook
As Radio Svaboda learned, the Belarusian citizen's appeal was considered by a judicial panel on May 13. Inna Kardash participated in the court session via video link from the Kyiv pre-trial detention center.
The lawyer and Inna Kardash argued for the necessity of canceling her detention, stating that the suspicions against her are based "only on assumptions and are not supported by any evidence."
The judicial panel noted that the investigating judge, who issued the decision to extend Kardash's detention until June 14, reasonably concluded that there was a risk that the suspect might abscond from the investigation, destroy or conceal evidence and documents essential for the investigation, and unlawfully influence witnesses or experts.
The appellate court referred to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, according to which the existence of grounds for detaining a person must be assessed considering the specific circumstances of the criminal case, and the restriction of liberty during the pre-trial investigation can be justified as required by public interest, which, despite the presumption of innocence, takes precedence over the principle of respect for personal liberty.
When making its decision, the judicial panel relied on six decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, rendered in cases of foreign and Ukrainian citizens against Bulgaria, France, Ukraine, and Switzerland.
Consequently, the judges rejected the appeal of Inna Kardash and her lawyer and recognized the extension of her arrest until June 14 as lawful.
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