Finnish Court Refuses to Release Russian Woman Detained at US Request - Lawyer

HELSINKI (Sputnik) - A court of the Finnish city of Vantaa refused Wednesday to release Russian national Mira Terada, who was detained in Helsinki at the US request, on her own recognizance, Terada’s lawyer Johanna Karvinen told Sputnik.

"The court decided to remand the defendant in custody, but in two weeks, we can ask once again for a change of the measure of restraint. We have not discussed yet whether we will go to court on this matter again," the lawyer Karvinen said.

READ MORE: Finnish Court to Review Arrest Extension of Russian National Terada — Campaigner

The statement comes after, on December 15, Mira Terada, born in 1988 under name of Oksana Vovk, was detained under an Interpol warrant in Helsinki Airport – Vantaa as she was going to Spain from St. Petersburg with a transit stop in Finland. She is wanted in the United States on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, which the Russian national denies.

The United States has 45 days to submit proof of the Russian national’s alleged guilt to Helsinki, so that the Finnish Justice Ministry could decide whether to support the US extradition request. If the US authorities fail to do so, the detainee will be released.