World

Russian sex guru and followers make Thai court appearance

17 of April 2018

Anastasia Vashukevich sits inside a prison transport vehicle outside a courthouse in Pattaya, south of Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Russian sex guru and his followers, one of whom claims to have evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election, have emerged briefly for a Thai court hearing after being held virtually incommunicado in an immigration jail. The group's leader, Alexander Kirillov, and the woman making the election claims, Vashukevich, were among about half a dozen people taken Tuesday to a court in the resort town of Pattaya, where they were arrested in February while holding a sex training course.(AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe),Anastasia Vashukevich sits inside a prison transport vehicle outside a courthouse in Pattaya, south of Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Russian sex guru and his followers, one of whom claims to have evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election, have emerged briefly for a Thai court hearing after being held virtually incommunicado in an immigration jail. The group's leader, Alexander Kirillov, and the woman making the election claims, Vashukevich, were among about half a dozen people taken Tuesday to a court in the resort town of Pattaya, where they were arrested in February while holding a sex training course.(AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A Russian sex guru and his followers, one of whom claims to have evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election, are in a Thai court for a closed hearing. They were among about half a dozen people arrested in February on a charge of holding a sex training course without a work permit. Police last week added more serious charges against them of soliciting and conspiracy.

PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) — A Russian sex guru and his followers, one of whom claims to have evidence of Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election, have emerged briefly for a Thai court hearing after being held virtually incommunicado in an immigration jail.

The group’s leader, Alexander Kirillov, and the woman making the election claims, Anastasia Vashukevich, were among about half a dozen people taken Tuesday to a court in the resort town of Pattaya, where they were arrested in February while holding a sex training course.

Tuesday’s court calendar said they were there for testimony over the charge of holding the course without a work permit. The court hearing was closed and it was unclear if they had lawyers.

Police last week added more serious charges against them of soliciting and conspiracy.