Russian citizen Evgeny Nikulin, who was extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States on hacking charges, has refused to undergo a thorough mental examination, which his lawyers had earlier demanded, attorney Akrady Bukh told TASS.

"Nikulin has refused to meet with a psychiatrist," Bukh said. "We are studying legal precedents to immediately develop a further strategy of steps as the court hearings on this case are scheduled for October 8-9."

The lawyer did not rule out that a special petition may be handed over to the presiding judge.

In early September, the Russian Embassy in Washington issued a statement stressing that the US authorities were responsible for Nikulin’s worsening health.

Nikulin was detained in Prague on October 5, 2016, at the request of a Californian court on suspicion of hacker attacks against targets in the United States. He is accused in the United States of hacking in 2012 and 2013 big Internet companies, which include LinkedIn and Dropbox. Charges against Nikulin include computer intrusion and identity theft.

In November 2016, Russia also asked the Czech Justice Ministry to extradite Nikulin as he was accused in Russia of stealing $3,450 through the Internet in 2009.

The trial of Nukulin, who pleads not guilty to the charges, may begin in January 2019.