MOSCOW, January 15 (RAPSI, Ingrid Burke) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will soon consider whether to apply interim measures in the case of Vladimir Topekhin, a paralyzed man sentenced to six years in prison by a Moscow court Monday, RAPSI learned from the ECHR press service Wednesday.

According to Topekhin’s attorney Svetlana Sidorkina, her client was in a car accident shortly prior to his arrest, and lost the use of both legs and one arm during the course of his detention.

The ECHR confirmed that it received in mid-December a request filed by Topekhin requesting the imposition of interim measures in accordance with ECHR Court Rule 39.

At that point, the court sent a request for information to the Russian government, which filed its response to the inquiry on January 2. This response was then forwarded to Topekhin for comments. He is set to respond by January 21. Once Topekhin files his comments, the court will decide whether to apply interim measures.

Rule 39 of the ECHR’s Rules of the Court establishes that the court can “indicate to the parties any interim measure which they consider should be adopted in the interests of the parties or of the proper conduct of the proceedings.”

Sidorkina told RAPSI Monday that her client had filed an application with the ECHR in December seeking his immediate release from custody.

Investigators allege that while Topekhin was working as an auditor he received a payment of 10 million rubles from a client that sought assistance in establishing a legal consultancy firm in Moscow. With the money, Topekhin was supposed to rent a safe deposit box and some office space, and handle the paperwork. Topekhin is believed instead to have pocketed the money.