Pavel Borodin placed in the pre-trial detention prison in Geneva

Pavel Borodin, State Secretary of the Union of Russia and Belarus, was delivered from New York to Geneva and placed in the pre-trial detention prison in the morning today, the Swiss ATS agency reports citing his Geneva lawyer Vincent Solary.

Later in the day, Borodin is to face his investigator, who is to inform him about charges and show him the warrant on his detention for the duration of the investigation. The warrant is valid for eight days and can be appealed against in a supervising judicial body (Persecution Chamber) by Borodin's lawyers, who are expected to file the appeal today. But this will not remove the charges against Borodin. In view of the coming long Easter holidays, the Chamber is to hear the lawyers' appeal next Thursday. In accordance with the accepted practice, investigators do not come to the pre-trial prison, where Borodin has been placed. Instead, prisoners are delivered to them in special cars escorted by the Geneva police. The pre-trial prison in Geneva is actually the only prison in the city and is used for keeping defendants during pre-trial investigation, which usually does not exceed 35-40 days.