A Russian court on Tuesday, September 30, ordered a French cyclist detained during a cross-continental trip to be held in jail until at least November 3, his lawyer told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Sofiane Sehili, 44, was arrested in early September on suspicion of crossing the Russian border illegally while attempting to complete the fastest endurance cycle trip from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
He had a valid e-visa but allegedly tried to cross the border at a checkpoint only permitted for Russian and Chinese citizens, and then at another where foot crossings are forbidden, a Russian official told AFP.
A court in Russia's far eastern Primorsky Krai region extended his pre-trial detention until at least November 3, his lawyer Alla Kushnir told AFP. "I will definitely file an appeal," against the prolongation, she added.
Sehili is one of several Westerners to have been detained in Russia since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.