Russian court extends detention of American musician
A Russian court has extended the detention of Travis Leake, an American musician arrested on drugs charges, amid fears Russia is targeting Americans as hostages. A Moscow court has extended the detention of Travis Leake, an American man detained by Russia on drug charges. Heavily armed Russian police arrested Leake in early June at his apartment in Moscow, accusing him of selling narcotics. Leake, 51, had lived in Russia for more than a decade, working as an English teacher and as a musician in the country’s rock scene. He was detained along with a Russian woman, Valeria Grobanyuk. Leake has denied the charges and a former colleague has suggested he may have been targeted by Russian authorities as an American. At a hearing Thursday, a judge prolonged Leake’s pre-trial detention until Sept. 6. Leake's detention comes amid ongoing concerns that Russia may seize U.S. citizens as political hostages to use as leverage, following a string of such cases. In March, Wall Street Journal r...