Russian to be extradited over false Chernobyl claims

The fate of a man ordered to be extradited to Russia to face theft charges for allegedly providing false information for compensation linked to the Chernobyl disaster remained unknown on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal.

Amid numerous appeals, the case came to a close on December 22 when Cyprus’ Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Russian national’s appeals and said he should remain in detention until his extradition.

Though he may have already been extradited, neither the justice ministry, attorney-general’s office or the police were able to answer the Cyprus Mail’s request for confirmation of his whereabouts.

He is wanted in Russia to face charges of theft from the Russian state. He allegedly knowingly presented false and misleading information in his request for damages linked to material damages that came about as a result of the Chernobyl disaster.

The Supreme Court underlined that Cyprus’ convention with Russia on extraditions was excluded from the EU sanctions and as such was still in place.

It also agreed with the court of first instance in Larnaca which decided that if the EU had concerns over Russia’s human rights treatments, it would have banned extraditions.

The full bench of the Supreme Court also gave its backing to the initial court’s decision that the defendant had failed to present a real risk to his human rights should his extradition go ahead.