A Dutch court has refused to release Alexey Pertsev, a Tornado Cash developer who was sentenced for money laundering, as he prepares to appeal. A spokesperson for the Court of Appeal in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, revealed that Pertsev will remain in detention. His defense lawyers, Keith Cheng and Judith de Boer, argued that Pertsev would not abscond and that he needed to be online to prepare for his appeal trial.
Previously, Pertsev was arrested in August 2022, just days after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash. He was detained, and prosecutors disclosed allegations of money laundering three months later. Pertsev was released to house arrest after eight months in prison, and he was finally released under certain conditions last year. Now, his lawyers argue that Pertsev is no greater risk of absconding than before. Another Tornado Cash developer, Roman Storm, will go on trial in the United States in September. He is charged with money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions laws. (DL News) #crypto2023A