Belgian authorities are seeking access to a Belgian-Russian man arrested a year ago in western Russia and sentenced last week to 16 years in prison on what his supporters say are trumped-up charges.

A court in the Pskov region bordering Latvia convicted Mikhail “Mike” Lochtchinin of treason on June 2, after accusing him of transferring money to his Ukrainian ex-girlfriend with the aim of enabling her to take up arms against Russian forces.

Lochtchinin, who was born in Russia but has lived in western Europe for more than two decades, says he fell victim to entrapment by Russian authorities while travelling by motorcycle to visit relatives in the country in July last year.

The prosecution, he says, accused him of making a bank transfer of 18,000 rubles (about $250) in 2022 that was allegedly intended to purchase a military uniform.

No proof of the transfer was presented during the trial in Pskov, according to his defence as relayed by a support group.

“The bank card number attributed to me was purely invented,” Lochtchinin was quoted as telling the court. He intends to appeal the conviction.

Contacted by AFP, Belgium’s foreign ministry said it had been “continuously” following the case through its embassy in Moscow since his arrest.

“We have repeatedly requested permission from the Russian authorities to carry out a consular visit. To date, these requests have not received a favourable response, due to Mr Lochtchinin’s dual nationality,” a ministry spokesperson said.

“We regret this and will continue to insist, through all appropriate diplomatic channels, on obtaining access,” the spokesperson said.

Amnesty International has launched an appeal for Russian authorities to immediately release Lochtchinin, allow him access to adequate healthcare, and drop the charges against him.

It has called the charges against him “fabricated” and says “he is being held in inhuman and degrading conditions”, causing his health to deteriorate.

Supporters of Lochtchinin in Belgium and Luxembourg, where he worked in IT for the airline Luxair, have likewise highlighted his poor health in calling for his release — describing him as blind in one eye, and suffering progressive deterioration in the other.

Belgium’s foreign ministry voiced “concern” about his condition, insisting “that he receives treatment in line with international standards”.