A dual Russian-Australian national has spent the past two-and-a-half years in a Russian prison awaiting trial on disputed drug trafficking charges because authorities fear he will flee to Australia if granted bail.

Authorities have refused to release Roman Shilov on bail because they fear he may use his dual citizenship to flee the country.

His brother, Evgeny Shilov, still lives in Brisbane with Roman Shilov's mother, his Australian wife, and a baby daughter that he has never met.

The family has tried for years to get Mr Shilov released but nothing has worked.

"It seems very, very unfair that he's been put away from day one and hasn't been let go," Evgeny Shilov said.

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The Shilov brothers immigrated to Australia 14 years ago and both became citizens. In 2009, Roman returned to Moscow to help run his father's spice import business.

Sergei Shilov had been battling the Russian authorities for years over the classification of poppy seeds as narcotics. The Shilovs were one of the biggest suppliers of the enormously popular poppy seeds in Russia.

At one point their company was supplying nearly 20 per cent of the market.

In a Moscow apartment crammed with papers that spell out the state's case against his company, Mr Shilov's father is still scathing in his assessment of Russia's attempt to classify poppy seeds as narcotics.

"The drug control system for poppy seeds is just crazy," he said.

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"All their criminal cases are complete nonsense. And I became a target."

In July, 2012, Mr Shilov and his father were amongst those arrested in a long-brewing crackdown on poppy seed imports.

Just days later, the head of the Federal Drug Control Service made one of many appearances on state television, telling Russian president Vladimir Putin the Shilovs were guilty.

Many observers agree the logic behind this case is questionable at best.

Sergei Shilov says as a poppy seed producer he has become a target.

For example, the Federal Drug Control Service claims that in one instance the Shilovs smuggled 47 tonnes of narcotics. But that is the total weight of the poppy seed shipment and by its own admission, the government said about 0.001 per cent of that was narcotic material that could be extracted.

Expert chemist Olga Zelinina, who compiled a report supporting their case, was herself arrested and jailed.

She now faces charges as a co-defendant.

"This trial is to show what happens if you express an opinion that is opposed to those in power," she said.

Australian intervention offers no help

Over the two-and-a-half years he has awaited trial, Mr Shilov has been denied bail.

Because of his Australian citizenship, Russia considers him a flight risk.

Even an intervention from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop promising that he would not be issued an Australian passport if he was released did not help.

Evgeny Shilov is frightened that his brother may be charged and spend 15 years in prison.

In a letter to the family's local MP, Ms Bishop wrote: "Regrettably, Russian authorities have not accepted this advice and remain committed to having Mr Shilov remain in detention."

This week, Mr Shilov was transferred from a prison in Moscow to one in Bryansk, about 400 kilometres away.

According to Russian law the transfer means the trial for him and his 12 co-defendants is due to begin soon.

If convicted Mr Shilov faces 15 years to life in prison.

The family still hopes prosecutors will delay the case and release the accused, only to quietly drop the charges later.

His brother admits the sentence is a frightening prospect.

"It certainly is. I just don't want to think about it at the moment," he said.

"I'm still hoping that it's going to get resolved. That's all."

Read the letter from Ms Bishop to Ms Shilov's local MP:

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