An American musician who has lived in Russia for more than 10 years has been detained, accused of drug trafficking. A Moscow court has ordered Michael Travis Leake to be held for two months before his trial, until Aug. 6, after he was arrested for allegedly selling the drug mephedrone, which the AP notes has effects similar to those from cocaine and MDMA (aka ecstasy). The news agency reports that Leake is facing charges of production or distribution of drugs, with the Khamovnichesky District Court alleging that Leake "organized the sale of drugs to young people," per the AFP, via the BBC.
The UK broadcaster notes that in a video shared online, Leake says he "didn't know" why he'd been detained, and that he seemed "confused." ABC News, which reports Leake's mother has confirmed his detention, shows video of Leake being held in a courtroom cage and adds that he has denied all charges against him. Leake, a singer with the band Lovi Noch ("Seize the Night") and a former US paratrooper, has lived in Moscow since 2010. CNN reports that Leake was interviewed by the late Anthony Bourdain in 2014 for a Moscow-St.Petersburg episode of Parts Unknown. In that episode, Leake talked about censorship and Russian oppression.
"The last time we spoke was in 2018, and he seemed depressed and upset," says Darya Tarasova, who produced that installment. "But Travis would never do the things he is being accused of. He is an American in Russia and is very aware of the situation he's in. But I'm surprised he stayed after the war started, as it was very risky for him." Leake's detention comes just months after the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen who remains behind bars on espionage charges awaiting his own trial. A spokesperson for the US State Department says that a representative from the US Embassy attended Leake's court hearing on Saturday and would continue to keep tabs on his case. (More Russia stories.)
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