Moscow demands access to Russian basketball player held in France

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's embassy in Paris on Thursday demanded consular access to a Russian basketball player, Daniil Kasatkin, whose lawyer said was detained in France at the request of the United States on suspicion of being part of a hacking network.

"The embassy is dealing with the situation related to the detention of Russian citizen Daniil Kasatkin in France," the embassy said in a statement.

"This is not an isolated case when we are faced with a delay in the issue of consular access to a Russian citizen."

His lawyer, Frederic Belot, said that Kasatkin was detained on June 21.

The United States "suspects him of being part of a hacking network using ransomware against U.S. companies and federal institutions," Belot said, adding that Kasatkin was innocent.

"Mr. Kasatkin is the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice" as he lacked "any computer expertise," he said.

"Kasatkin simply used a second-hand computer he purchased without changing the system username. The account was undoubtedly hacked and was remotely controlled by cybercriminals without Mr. Kasatkin's knowledge," Belot said.

(Reporting by Reuters in Moscow and Paris; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Ros Russell)

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