Konanykhin is now staying in prison line with a court verdict.
The court session tried to find out whether Konanykhin had violated an agreement with US authorities, which allowed him to reside permanently in the United States; well, this is seen as the main aspect of his case.
Konanykhin can stay in the United States pending his appeal, if that agreement was not violated; meanwhile Konanykhin will be deported to Russia in case of any violations, the judge stressed. Konanykhin appealed a court verdict that deprived him of political-refugee status.
At the same time, the judge noted that Konanykhin's lawyers could try and choose another country, which would admit Konanykhin.
US law-enforcement officials are saying that Konanykhin had violated several points of his agreement with US authorities; among other things, he didn't notify local authorities, after moving elsewhere.
For his own part, Konanykhin's lawyer said that the former Russian banker didn't violate that agreement. In his words, Konanykhin was going to Canada where he intended to ask for political asylum; Konanykhin also wanted to wait for the results of his actions on Canadian territory.
In November 2003 a US court deprived Konanykhin of his political-refugee status; Konanykhin was arrested on the US-Canadian border in December 2003.
Talking to RIA Novosti, officials at the Russian Interior Ministry noted that Russian authorities were accusing Konanykhin of embezzling $8 million from the National Stock Exchange Bank's assets over the 1991-1992 period.
