If extradited to the US, crypto trade BTC-e’s alleged operator Alexander Vinnik will turn into a “hostage” because of the ongoing battle in Ukraine, based on his Greek lawyer. France is more likely to ship the Russian again to Greece quickly and Zoe Konstantopoulou is making an attempt to stop his subsequent switch to U.S. custody.
Alexander Vinnik’s Greek Protection Fights His Extradition to US
A French court docket is anticipated to approve subsequent week the return of convicted cash launderer Alexander Vinnik to Greece. Greek authorities arrested the Russian nationwide in 2017 and handed him over to France, two years later, the place he was charged with identification theft and extortion as nicely. He has now served his five-year sentence there, considering the time spent in detention previous to the trial.
Vinnik was apprehended in Thessaloniki, the place he arrived on trip along with his household, on a warrant from the U.S., the place he’s additionally accused of laundering not less than $four billion by way of the notorious BTC-e trade, together with cash from the hack of Mt Gox. American prosecutors suspect him of collaborating with Russian intelligence, too.
Earlier than sending him to France, Greece accredited his extradition to the U.S. with a call of the then justice minister Kostas Tsiaras. Vinnik’s protection staff now fears that quickly after he’s returned to the nation, he shall be transferred to the US.
His Greek lawyer, former parliamentary speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, has been making an attempt to stop this improvement. Within the U.S., the 43-year-old Russian IT specialist will successfully turn into a “hostage” of the geopolitical conflict across the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she warned.
Konstantopoulou additionally opposes the extradition to the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, the main Greek day by day Kathimerini revealed in a lately revealed report. Vinnik’s spouse died in 2020 and so they have two sons, now aged eight and 11, who’re rising up with out dad and mom.
This month, U.S. authorities withdrew a request to get the Russian straight from France. Nonetheless, based on his French lawyer Frederic Belot, that is merely a “deceitful maneuver,” meant to truly velocity up his extradition by way of Greece, the place the U.S. request is already accredited.
Authorities in Moscow additionally formally requested each Greece and France at hand over Alexander Vinnik to Russia the place he’s accused of different crimes. The jailed crypto entrepreneur has on earlier events expressed his will to return to his residence nation and face justice there.
Do you assume Greece will extradite Alexander Vinnik to the U.S., as soon as he’s handed over by France? Share your expectations in regards to the case in the feedback part under.
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