Colleagues from Europe vouched for Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin in Warsaw court at a hearing to renew his arrest warrant. His relatives reported this on the Telegram channel.
“The court received a letter of guarantee from Alexander's European colleagues, confirming that if released, he will faithfully comply with all the conditions set by the court,” the statement said.
Hermitage employee Butyagin was arrested by Polish intelligence services on his way from the Netherlands to the Balkans on December 4. As Polish media reported, he refused to testify at the prosecutor's office. A court in Warsaw decided to arrest the archaeologist for 40 days. According to the Polish prosecutor's office, Butyagin could face up to 10 years in prison in Ukraine. Afterwards, the Warsaw District Court extended the arrest warrant for the Russian archaeologist until March 4.
