US Withdraws Request to Extradite BTC-e’s Vinnik From France, Lawyer Sees ‘Deceitful Maneuver’

U.S. authorities person withdrawn their petition to extradite the alleged relation of crypto speech BTC-e Alexander Vinnik from France, his French lawyer informed Russian media. Vinnik’s defence suspects, however, that the determination is intended to really velocity up his extradition done Greece.

Lawyer Says Washington Wants Vinnik to Remain successful Prison

The United States withdrew a petition submitted successful 2020 to extradite Alexander Vinnik from France, according to Frederic Belot, who is defending him successful French courts. The Russian IT specializer has served a five-year situation word successful the state wherever helium was sentenced for wealth laundering.

Vinnik’s planetary defence squad has been trying to unafraid his merchandise but France is much apt to nonstop him backmost to Greece, wherever helium was arrested successful the summertime of 2017 connected a warrant from American prosecutors who impeach him of laundering astatine slightest $4 cardinal done the infamous cryptocurrency speech BTC-e.

This week, Belot told RBC Crypto that the French prosecutor’s bureau has resumed the process connected the U.S. extradition petition connected July 1, 2022 successful bid to forestall the merchandise of the Russian. He believes its withdrawal is simply a “deceitful maneuver,” intended to guarantee that Vinnik stays down bars until helium is returned to Greece.

Greek authorities had already granted a U.S. petition for extradition earlier sending him to France. That means his instrumentality to Greece tin really velocity up his transportation to the United States. The adjacent proceeding successful Vinnik’s lawsuit was rescheduled from Sept. 7 to Aug. 3, Belot besides noted. Until then, the Russian nationalist volition stay successful French prison.

Belot added that during the hearings astatine the Investigative Chamber of the tribunal successful Paris, Vinnik’s lawyers again reminded the French judicial authorities that the Russian Federation had besides sent an extradition petition to France, and overmuch earlier than the U.S. one.

In his location country, Alexander Vinnik was accused successful 2018 of stealing 750 cardinal rubles ($13 cardinal astatine existent rates). He has stated helium would similar to instrumentality to Russia. Greek authorities extradited him to France successful 2020 wherever helium was besides accused of individuality theft and extortion.

Do you expect Vinnik to yet beryllium handed implicit to the United States? Share your thoughts connected the lawsuit successful the comments conception below.