“Mr. Smirnov’s research into available remedies (including a petition for a writ of habeas corpus) are ongoing,” the filing states. “At present, however, Mr. Smirnov respectfully requests that this Honorable Court set his second initial appearance ‘without unnecessary delay’ which, under these bizarre circumstances, mean: forthwith, and order his release. Alternatively, Mr. Smirnov requests an emergency hearing before the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.”

The government attempted to secure pretrial detention for Smirnov following his first arrest because it deems him to be a flight risk, but a federal judge ordered that he could be released on certain conditions, according to legal filings. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged in its Feb. 14 indictment against Smirnov that he lied to the FBI when he described Burisma executives paying off Joe and Hunter Biden, and a subsequent filing arguing for his pretrial detention detailed Smirnov’s contacts with individuals connected to Russian intelligence.

“Mr. Smirnov was rearrested on an arrest warrant issued from the same Court where he was planning on voluntarily appearing when required. He had previously been released by a federal Magistrate Judge after a full and complete hearing where both sides were heard. He was inside our law office at the time of his arrest, preparing his defense,” his counsel said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We are pursuing lawful remedies to once again seek his release.”

The DOJ did not respond immediately to a request for comment.