MOSCOW, September 17 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - An Estonian citizen and officer of the Estonian security agency, KAPO, Eston Kohver, declined the services of a lawyer, after which the Lefortovsky District Court ceased consideration of his defense’s statements, a court spokesperson told RAPSI Wednesday.

Tomorrow, on September 18, the Lefortovsky court was to hear a motion by Kohver’s defense regarding the term of an appeal on the court ruling on pre-trial detention.

“Kohver has informed the court that he has declined legal representation and therefore the hearing on the motion had to be suspended,” press secretary Yulia Skotnikova said. Since the case materials are confidential, the name of the lawyer cannot be disclosed,” the spokesperson added.

According to the Russian Federal Security Service’s (FSB) press office, Kohver was detained on September 5 in the Pskov Region, which borders Estonia, Latvia and Belarus. He allegedly had a Taurus handgun, ammunition, 5,000 euros and special equipment to carry out covert recording.

The FSB announced the disruption of an agent-recruitment operation by the Estonian Interior Ministry’s security police. On September 6, the Lefortovsky District Court in Moscow issued a two-month arrest warrant for Kohver.

Tallinn claims that Kohver was investigating cross-border crime when he was abducted at gunpoint from Estonian territory, near the Luhamaa checkpoint on the border with the Pskov Region, by Russians who detonated a smoke grenade and jammed radio communications.

Kohver is charged with espionage that is punishable by ten to twenty years in prison.