Basketball
The Russian athlete was detained in Europe at the request of the United States. What is Daniel accused of?
Daniil Kasatkin is in a French prison and has already lost 6 kg.
The 26-year-old Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, who played for the MBA team of MAI in the Unified VTB League, was in the center of the international scandal. According to the French media, citing AFP, Kasatkin was arrested in France at the request of the United States of America. The arrest occurred on June 21 at the Charles de Gaulle airport, when the athlete arrived in Paris with his bride.
The reason for the detention is a suspicion of participating in the hacker network, which, according to investigators, in 2020–2022 attacked about 900 organizations, including two federal institutions in the United States. Kasatkin is charged with involvement in cyber attacks for extortion.
“He does not even know how to install applications”
Despite the seriousness of the accusations, the defense insists on the complete non -involvement of the basketball player to cybercrime. Athletian lawyer Frederick Beli said that his client is “poorly versed in computers” and cannot even independently install the application on a smartphone or laptop. According to the lawyer, the technique used by Kasatkin could be previously hacked or thrown by attackers in order to act on his behalf.
White emphasizes that no direct evidence of Kasatkin’s guilt has been presented. Since June 23, the athlete is in custody and expects a decision on possible extradition in the United States.
Conditions of Kasatkin in France
The conditions that contain Daniil Kasatkin cause concern about his lawyer. According to Bel, in the athlete’s chamber there is not even a chair, there is no opportunity to train – there is no access to the gym or the sports ground. This, according to the defense, can seriously affect his physical form and jeopardize his further career.
Kasatkin himself complains of a deterioration in well -being and a sense of unsafe. It is known that during the detention of his weight, his weight decreased from 95 to 89 kilograms.
Before the arrest, Kasatkin played for the Moscow MBA Moscow Club in the Unified VTB League. The contract with the team was terminated on July 3 – after the detention. Although last season he was not among the main stars of Russian basketball, his career developed stably, and the prospects in sports were preserved. Now the player’s future remains a big question.
The reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova in the commentary “Match TV” confirmed that the Russian embassy in Paris monitors the situation and provides the necessary assistance to Kasatkin.
“The Russian embassy in Paris is dealing with this issue,” Zakharova said.
The Foreign Ministry, as expected, will achieve consular access to the arrested and evaluate the legitimacy of the actions of the French authorities.
The further fate of Daniil Kasatkin depends on the decision of the French court on extradition. If the United States provides convincing grounds for issuing, the athlete can be transferred to the American authorities. Otherwise, the defense will seek his release and possible compensation for illegal detention.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.