Russian court extends French cyclist's pre-trial detention until November

MOSCOW, Sept 30 (Reuters) – A court in Russia's far east has extended the pre-trial detention of French cyclist Sofiane Sehili who has been charged with illegally crossing the Russian border, state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday. French newspaper Le Monde reported earlier in September that Sehili had been arrested after twice attempting to cross the border from China while trying to break the world record for the fastest cycle crossing of the Eurasian landmass, from Lisbon to Vladivostok. The charge carries a maximum prison term of two years. TASS said Sehili's detention had been extended until November 3. Russia's relations with France have sharply deteriorated since the start of its war in Ukraine. A French researcher, Laurent Vinatier, is currently serving a three-year prison term for violating Russia's "foreign agent" laws and is now facing a new charge of espionage. (Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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