Russian court commits US citizen for mental treatment

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(Reuters) – A Russian court on Monday ruled a U.S. citizen not criminally responsible for his actions in connection with the assault of a police officer and committed him for treatment in a Russian hospital, the Moscow City Court Service said.

The service, in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, said Joseph Tater has been absolved of responsibility in connection with the incident. He had been in detention since last August.

The court ordered him to undergo “obligatory medical measures in a medical institution providing psychiatric help”.

An earlier court ruling declared Tater diagnosed with a mental disorder requiring hospital treatment.

Tater was first detained and jailed for 15 days for petty hooliganism after being accused of abusing staff at a Moscow hotel, an allegation he denied.

According to news agency accounts of court proceedings, Tater subsequently assaulted a police officer, leading to a fresh criminal case.

According to those accounts, Tater had entered Russia intending to seek political asylum, said he did not consider himself a U.S. citizen and had faced persecution in the United States and asked diplomats attending the proceedings to leave.

Tater is one of several American nationals in detention in Russia on a variety of charges.

Russian authorities last week released dual Russian-U.S. citizen Ksenia Karelina, a ballerina and spa worker, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for donating to a charity aiding Ukraine.

She was exchanged for a dual German-Russian citizen the U.S. had accused of forming a global smuggling ring to spirit sensitive electronics to Russia’s military.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Stephen Coates)