The Supreme Court of Cyprus Rejects the Appeal for the Extradition of the Russian Fugitive

The Supreme Court of Cyprus, in its appellate jurisdiction, unanimously rejected the appeal of a Russian fugitive and ruled to keep him in custody until extradition to Russia. This marks the third consecutive appeal by the sought-after individual.

The decision stated that on May 19, 2023, the Larnaca District Court had issued a ruling for extradition on charges of "embezzlement of funds from the federal budget of the Russian Federation, providing knowingly false and misleading information in claiming compensation for property damage caused by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident."

Until the moment of extradition to Russia, the accused was required to remain in custody for the judicial process. However, the man attempted several times to challenge this decision. The lower court, upon reviewing the Russian's complaints, deemed them unfounded and dismissed them.

The Supreme Court concluded that the Russian citizen had not provided compelling evidence that he would be treated improperly with violations of human rights in his home country.

According to the final decision, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal and ordered to keep the applicant in custody until his extradition is executed.

"Otherwise, European territory would ultimately become a haven for convicted criminals or individuals sought for crimes in Russia," the court statement emphasized.