Vinnik to Be ‘Hostage’ in US Amid Russia’s War in Ukraine, Greek Lawyer Says

If extradited to the United States, crypto speech BTC-e’s alleged relation Alexander Vinnik volition go a “hostage” owed to the ongoing struggle successful Ukraine, according to his Greek lawyer. France is apt to nonstop the Russian backmost to Greece soon and Zoe Konstantopoulou is trying to forestall his consequent transportation to U.S. custody.

Alexander Vinnik’s Greek Defense Fights His Extradition to US

A French tribunal is expected to o.k. adjacent week the instrumentality of convicted wealth launderer Alexander Vinnik to Greece. Greek authorities arrested the Russian nationalist successful 2017 and handed him implicit to France, 2 years later, wherever helium was charged with individuality theft and extortion arsenic well. He has present served his five-year condemnation there, taking into relationship the clip spent successful detention anterior to the trial.

Vinnik was apprehended successful Thessaloniki, wherever helium arrived connected abrogation with his family, connected a warrant from the U.S., wherever helium is besides accused of laundering astatine slightest $4 cardinal done the infamous BTC-e exchange, including wealth from the hack of Mt Gox. American prosecutors fishy him of collaborating with Russian intelligence, too.

Before sending him to France, Greece approved his extradition to the U.S. with a determination of the past justness curate Kostas Tsiaras. Vinnik’s defence squad present fears that soon aft helium is returned to the country, helium volition beryllium transferred to the United States.

His Greek lawyer, erstwhile parliamentary talker Zoe Konstantopoulou, has been trying to forestall this development. In the U.S., the 43-year-old Russian IT specializer volition efficaciously go a “hostage” of the geopolitical clash astir the Russian penetration of Ukraine, she warned.

Konstantopoulou besides opposes the extradition to the U.S. connected humanitarian grounds, the starring Greek regular Kathimerini revealed successful a precocious published report. Vinnik’s woman died successful 2020 and they person 2 sons, present aged 8 and 11, who are increasing up without parents.

This month, U.S. authorities withdrew a petition to get the Russian straight from France. However, according to his French lawyer Frederic Belot, this is simply a “deceitful maneuver,” meant to really velocity up his extradition done Greece, wherever the U.S. petition is already approved.

Authorities successful Moscow besides formally asked some Greece and France to manus implicit Alexander Vinnik to Russia wherever helium is accused of different crimes. The jailed crypto entrepreneur has connected erstwhile occasions expressed his volition to instrumentality to his location state and look justness there.

Do you deliberation Greece volition extradite Alexander Vinnik to the U.S., erstwhile helium is handed implicit by France? Share your expectations astir the lawsuit successful the comments conception below.