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Greek authorities release Russian national arrested at Ukraine’s request

Yevgeny Kalinin was released on Wednesday night and has already caught a flight back to Moscow, his lawyer said

© REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS, March 7. /TASS/. Russian national Yevgeny Kalinin, arrested in Greece on February 28 at Ukraine’s request, has been released, his lawyer Yannis Rahiotis told TASS on Thursday.

"Kalinin was released on Wednesday night and has already took a flight to Moscow," he said.

Rahiotis said in a statement that energy expert Kalinin, who arrived in Athens on February 28 for a short business trip, had been released by the Athens Court of Appeal’s prosecutor.

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"They said he had been arrested and sent to prison by mistake because there was no international arrest warrant. Russian Prosecutor General Mr. Chaika had visited the Greek justice minister and the Supreme Court’s prosecutor before Kalinin was released," Rahiotis pointed out.

According to the lawyer, Kalinin departed for Russia "accompanied by diplomats from the Russian embassy in Athens and his family members who had come to Greece to support him." "He asked me to convey his gratitude to the Greek people who supported him from the very beginning and media outlets, both Greek and international, that sought to protect him by publishing news about his wrongful arrest. He was particularly grateful to his country’s authorities who had shown an immediate response and provided assistance to him," Rahiotis noted.

On Wednesday, Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika held a meeting with Greek Justice Minister Michalis Kalogirou, who "promised to pay thorough attention" to the case.

Russian’s arrest

According to Kalinin’s lawyer, his client, who arrived in the Greek capital On February 28 on a short business trip, was detained at Athens airport. A court later sent the Russian to the Korydallos prison until Greece receives Ukraine’s extradition request. Rahiotis said the case was politically motivated for Kalinin’s name had been added to the database of Ukraine’s notorious Mirotvorets (or Peacekeeper) website.

The lawyer noted that Kalinin had managed an oil refinery in the Ukrainian city of Odessa in 2011-2013.

The Mirotvorets doxing website was set up in the spring of 2014 in order to identify, or dox, Donbass self-defense militias and those aiding them. The website’s database includes information on people who could allegedly breach Ukraine’s national security.

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