Double Preventive Measure

Yesterday, the Moscow Regional Court kept lawyer and former FSB colonel Mikhail Trepashkin in custody. Neither the defense nor the former Chekist expected such a decision. Before the start of the hearing, the lawyers had a firm conviction that the prisoner would be released. For this, as they told "RK", there were every grounds. To date, two criminal cases have been initiated against the former FSB colonel.

• The first is for the disclosure of state secrets.
• The second is for the illegal possession and transportation of firearms.

In the first case, Mikhail Trepashkin was under a written undertaking not to leave. But for the weapon, he ended up in a SIZO (remand prison).

Detention Details

Lawyer Trepashkin was detained on October 22 at the 47th kilometer of the Dmitrovskoye Highway. During an inspection of his car, DPS (Road Patrol Service) officers found a pistol for which there was no permit. However, as the accused himself claims, the weapon was planted on him.

Further events developed quite interestingly. On October 24, the Dmitrovsky City Court sanctioned the arrest of the detainee.

• "This is an exceptional case where detention in custody was chosen as the preventive measure for a crime of medium gravity," believes lawyer Elena Liptser.
• "Moreover, Mikhail Trepashkin has a wife and minor children as dependents. The youngest child is only one year old."

Exactly one week later, the Moscow Regional Court released Trepashkin from arrest. But the already released former Chekist was transferred from the Dmitrovsky SIZO to the Volokolamsk one. And on November 5, the Dmitrovsky Court re-arrested the former FSB colonel.

The defense, naturally, appealed this decision again in the Moscow Regional Court.

• "We believe that from October 31 to November 5, Mikhail Trepashkin was held in custody completely illegally," Elena Liptser explained to "RK".
• "Therefore, we will file a complaint in Strasbourg."
• "Secondly, no new circumstances have arisen in the case. On what grounds is there a repeated arrest if the Moscow Regional Court overturned the decision of the Dmitrovsky Court? You see, it would be strange if the court made a different decision today."

However, this time the Moscow Regional Court kept the lawyer in the SIZO. Mikhail Trepashkin gained notoriety after the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office accused him of disclosing information containing state secrets and abuse of official position during his period of work in the FSB. According to the investigation's version, after leaving the "organs", the colonel kept secret documents at his home, brought there during his period of Chekist service.

Elena APASOVA