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Abducting Russian nationals from third countries is illegal, Russia’s embassy in US warns

This practice contradicts agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, an embassy representative said

Russian Embassy building in Washington D.C. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Russian Embassy building in Washington D.C.

© AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

WASHINGTON, February 15. /TASS/. The practice of kidnapping Russian nationals in third countries is illegal and inconsistent with agreements on mutual assistance in criminal matters, a representative of the Russian embassy in the United States told TASS when asked to provide commentary on the conviction of Russian national Vladimir Drinkman.

"The practice of kidnapping Russians in third countries is not legal and contradicts mutual agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters," he said.

Drinkman was arrested in the Netherlands in 2012 at the FBI request and extradited to the United States in February 2015. He was accused by U.S. authorities of organizing the largest hacker attack in the country’s history. In September 2015, he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to illegally access computers and commit wire fraud.

The US District Judge Jerome Simandle in Camden, New Jersey federal court, sentenced Drinkman to 12 years in jail on Wednesday. Simandle said Drinkman’s actions had caused $312 mln damage.

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