Court rejects Deniss Metsavas request for early release

Harju County Court rejected convicted traitor Deniss Metsavas’s request for early release under electronic monitoring, ERR reported. The prosecutor opposed his conditional early release, maintaining that position at Tuesday’s hearing. Tallinn Prison also did not support allowing him to continue serving his sentence under electronic monitoring and the supervision of a probation officer.

Metsavas’s defence lawyer argued that his conduct and efforts showed he had drawn the necessary conclusions from his crimes and that continued imprisonment was not unavoidably necessary to guide his behaviour.

In deciding on conditional early release, the court considers the circumstances of the crime, the offender’s character and previous life, conduct during imprisonment, participation in activities aimed at reducing the risk of new crimes, living conditions and the consequences of release.

After reviewing the submitted materials and the written positions of the prosecutor and defence, and hearing the prosecutor, Metsavas and his lawyer, the court found that early release would be premature and unjustified.

The court acknowledged several positive factors supporting release. Metsavas has a permanent place to live and supportive family members. He has also acquired vocational education in prison and worked in various roles, including as a librarian and leader of mathematics and yoga groups. He has no outstanding claims and has money in his release fund.

However, the court said these factors did not automatically show that Metsavas would behave lawfully if released. Before his imprisonment, he also had a job, a home, a family and supportive relatives, but committed the crimes nonetheless.

The court said the main substantive condition for conditional early release was a forecast that the prisoner would obey the law in future. Despite the factors speaking in Metsavas’s favour, it assessed the risk of new crimes as high.

The court based that assessment on what it described as the commission of a very serious first-degree crime over a prolonged period. In its view, the risk of new crimes had not been reduced sufficiently.

The ruling has not yet entered into force. Metsavas was convicted of treason in 2018 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.