Vinnik's lawyer told about active lobbying for the possibility of his release

The lawyer of Russian Alexander Vinnik, who was detained in 2017 by US special services on charges of money laundering on a large scale, Arkady Bukh told Izvestia on February 12 about the progress of the trial. According to him, the Russian's defense is actively lobbying for the possibility of his release.

"The session was held, the judge is very strict, left everything in the strictest secrecy and demanded non-disclosure of the results of the hearing. We are actively lobbying for the possibility of his release. We were very much waiting for the new government and the new president. The hearings have been postponed many times before. We can expect positive results on this issue in the near future."," shared Buch.

In an official statement of the Arkady Bukh & Associates law office said that the work on Vinnik's defense continues and all efforts are being made within the legal framework to achieve the result. At the same time, the statement expressed gratitude to Vinnik's mother, who supports her son throughout the process.

Goodwill test: Russian Federation freed convicted American Mark Fogel

What this means for the future of the Ukrainian crisis resolution process

On January 30, Buch said that the mother's appeal to US President Donald Trump, journalist Tucker Carlson and billionaire Ilon Musk could give a positive result. He clarified that due to the clear policy of the office, relatives of defendants or convicts can make requests to various politicians or congressmen. According to him, this idea is not against any regulations.

In early May 2024, Buch told Izvestia that his client pleaded guilty in court in a money laundering case as part of a deal with prosecutors. According to the lawyer, the Russian could face up to 10 years in prison. In August, Buch explained why he was not included in the swap. He said the Russian was probably not included in the prisoner swap because the United States rarely releases people before sentencing.

In September, Russian embassy officials in Washington visited Vinnik's place of detention and assured him that they would continue to provide him with the necessary consular and legal assistance. In October, it was reported that Vinnikk's sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2025.

The Russian was detained at the request of the United States in July 2017, when he was vacationing with his family in Greece. U.S. authorities accuse Vinnikk of laundering between $4 billion and $9 billion through the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange (now defunct) and distributing malware for the purpose of extortion. Extradition has also been requested by Russia and France. In Russia, he is accused of embezzlement of over 600 thousand rubles and fraud worth 750 million rubles.