Russian court commits US citizen for mental treatment

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Monday ruled a US citizen not criminally responsible for his actions in connection with the assault of a police officer and committed him for treatment in a Russian hospital, the Moscow City Court Service said.

The service, in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, said Joseph Tater has been absolved of responsibility in connection with the incident. He had been in detention since last August.

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The court ordered him to undergo “obligatory medical measures in a medical institution providing psychiatric help”.

An earlier court ruling declared Tater diagnosed with a mental disorder requiring hospital treatment.

Tater was first detained and jailed for 15 days for petty hooliganism after being accused of abusing staff at a Moscow hotel, an allegation he denied.

According to news agency accounts of court proceedings, Tater subsequently assaulted a police officer, leading to a fresh criminal case.

According to those accounts, Tater had entered Russia intending to seek political asylum, said he did not consider himself a US citizen and had faced persecution in the United States and asked diplomats attending the proceedings to leave.

Tater is one of several American nationals in detention in Russia on a variety of charges.

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Russian authorities last week released dual Russian-US citizen Ksenia Karelina, a ballerina and spa worker, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for donating to a charity aiding Ukraine.

She was exchanged for a dual German-Russian citizen the US had accused of forming a global smuggling ring to spirit sensitive electronics to Russia’s military.