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Jailed in Greece Russian bitcoin suspect is 24 days into hunger strike

Alexander Vinnik been in custody since mid-2017

ATHENS, December 19. /TASS/. Russian national Alexander Vinnik who has been in Greek custody since July 2017, is on hunger strike for the 24th day and has lost nine kilograms, Russian journalists heard on Wednesday in the courtroom.

"I have been on hunger strike for already 24 days. Yesterday I was weighed [in prison], I have lost eight kilograms under the documents. But they started weighing me on my third day into hunger strike. So I have lost nine kilograms for sure,’ Vinnik told the reporters.

He said that if the Greek Supreme Court decides to extradite him to France, he will continue his hunger strike. "If [it decides on extradition] to Moscow, I will stop it," Vinnik said.

Vinnik was detained in Greece on July 25, 2017, at America’s request, where he is accused of laundering $4-9 bln through the now non-existent BTC-e cryptocurrency trading platform. Russia has sought the individual’s extradition, while France sent a similar request in June. Furthermore, Greece is pressing criminal charges against the Russian citizen.

In 2017, the Greek Supreme Court ruled to extradite Vinnik to the US and, later on, to Russia. The Thessaloniki Court of First Instance also ruled to extradite Vinnik to France, but the defense appealed to the Supreme Court against this verdict.

The Supreme Court of Greece (Areios Pagos) upheld the ruling by the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance on extraditing Russian national Alexander Vinnik to France at its session on Wednesday.

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