MOSCOW, August 22 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court on Thursday refused to overturn a lower court’s ruling extending detention of chairman of Tretyakov & Partners law firm Igor Tretyakov involved in the 330-million-ruble ($5 million) Roscosmos embezzlement case until October 19, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

The court also dismissed an appeal against prolonged detention of another defendant Sergey Lemeshevsky.

The defendants are held in detention for over a year.

On Thursday, defense attorney told RAPSI that Tretyakov had filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). According to the complaint, the lawyer’s rights to fair trial, effective remedy and right to liberty have been violated; primarily, Russian authorities have breached the principle presumption of innocence.Russian investigators believe the lawyer and two other defendants, ex-CEO of the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific Union Sergey Lemeshevsky and chief of the Union’s legal department Yekaterina Averyanova have stolen assets of Roscosmos by signing fraudulent contracts for provision of legal services with the law firm. All the works were allegedly performed by the corporation’s own specialists.

The overall sum of payments to the firm reached 330 million rubles.

Tretyakov pleads not guilty, while Averyanova has admitted guilt and signed a deal with investigators in exchange for release from detention under house arrest.