MOSCOW, June 1 (RIA Novosti) - A lawyer acting for ex-nuclear minister Yevgeny Adamov said his defendant had early Thursday suffered a third heart attack since being in custody.
Adamov, 67, is facing charges of embezzlement and abuse of office,
"We have warned officials that Adamov is seriously ill," Tymofei Gridnev said. "He is still in his cell and cannot walk."
Cardiologists who examined Adamov at the request of his defense team said he needed urgent medical treatment.
Moscow City Court May 23 extended Adamov's custody until August 8, although defense lawyers said all charges should be dropped.
Adamov's lawyer Genri Reznik said: "This is an intentional, willful and slow killing of Adamov."
Prosecutors said the former minister was a leader of an organized criminal group whose members were on an international wanted list, and that custody was a necessary measure that would prevent Adamov from influencing witnesses.
The United States accused Adamov, who served as nuclear power minister 1998-2001, of misappropriating $9 million given to Russia for nuclear safety projects. He would have faced 60 years in prison if convicted in the U.S.
The Prosecutor General's Office officially charged Adamov on December 31, 2005, after a long battle to secure his extradition from Switzerland. He has been held in custody since his return to Russia.
On October 3, the Swiss Federal Justice Department announced it would extradite the former minister to the U.S., but Adamov's defense team filed an appeal with the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland's Supreme Court, in Lausanne in November. The Tribunal ruled to send Adamov to Russia.
