Winnick called himself a hostage of the Greek government

He noted that in January 18 months had passed since his arrest.

"They would have to release me or extradite me to my homeland, to Russia, which requires extradition, and I agree," RIA Novosti quoted Vinnik.

At the same time, according to him, he is already kept under arrest for 19.5 months and does not report what they will do next.

“I am a hostage of the Greek government. I feel they prefer me to die than to surrender me to my country, ”Vinnik said.

Earlier, Prosecutor General of Russia Yuri Chaika said that during the negotiations, the Minister of Justice of Greece Michalis Kalogeru assured that he would objectively consider the question of the extradition of Vinnik.

Winnick was arrested in Greece at the request of the United States in July 2017. Russians are accused of laundering about $ 4 billion using a cryptocurrency exchange.