Authorities in the Russian capital, Moscow, arrested an American former parachute soldier on charges of drug trafficking, and Russian state television showed footage of his appearance before a court while he was inside the cage.
The Russian judicial system identified the detained American as Michael Travis Lake, 51, and that he had previously worked as a songwriter and musician for a Russian rock band.
State TV Rossiya 24 showed footage of him standing inside the cage in court, while REN TV showed him when he was arrested in Moscow on June 6, with his hands tied behind his back.
“On June 10, 2023, the Khamovniki District Court in Moscow took action to restrict the rights of an American citizen,” a judicial statement published by Moscow’s general jurisdiction courts on the Telegram app said.
The statement added: “The former paratrooper and musician, who is accused of drug trafficking with the participation of young men, will remain in detention until August 6, 2023.”
It was not immediately clear if the accused had a lawyer, and Reuters was unable to reach him for comment while he is in Russian custody. The band he was a member of did not respond to messages seeking comment.
REN TV said police had found a suspicious substance in Lake’s apartment.
“We are aware of reports of the recent arrest of a US citizen in Moscow,” a US State Department spokesman said, adding that when a US citizen is detained abroad, the department “seeks to provide him with consular (assistance) as quickly as possible and works to Provide all appropriate consular assistance.
The spokesman did not say whether US officials were able to contact Lake through the consulate.
Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that if convicted, Lake could face up to 12 years in prison.
A source, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that the rock band Lake was a member of had not played a concert since 2019.
When Lake first arrived in Moscow, he worked as an English teacher and helped translate songs for Russian bands.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February last year, the United States has repeatedly asked its citizens to leave Russia, fearing that they might face the risk of arbitrary detention or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.