“On July 15, the United States withdrew its request for the extradition of Alexander Vinnik, sent to France in 2020,” RIA Novosti quotes him.
According to the lawyer, the French prosecutor's office resumed the process on this request on July 1 in order to prevent the release of the Russian in accordance with the decision of the judge for the execution of sentences on June 29.
Belo noted that in this way the United States managed to keep Vinnik in custody and return him to Greece, from where he could be quickly sent to the United States.
The lawyer also said that the French court postponed the hearing in the case of a Russian citizen from September 7 to August 3.
Alexander Vinnik was arrested in Greece in the summer of 2017 at the request of the United States.
The American authorities accused him of money laundering through a cryptocurrency exchange.
Two years later, the Russian was extradited to Paris, where in December 2020 he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.
The United States and Russia also filed requests for the extradition of Vinnik.