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Russian embassy in Finland ready to advocate rights of Russian national Torden

According to the embassy spokesperson, Russian diplomats are receiving all necessary information about the development of the situation

Building of the Russian Embassy in Finland EPA-EFE/MAURI RATILAINEN

Building of the Russian Embassy in Finland

© EPA-EFE/MAURI RATILAINEN

STOCKHOLM, December 8. /TASS/. Russia’s embassy in Finland is keeping a close eye on the situation around Russian national Voislav Torden and is ready to continue advocating his rights, an embassy spokesperson told TASS.

According to the spokesperson, Russian diplomats are receiving all necessary information about the development of the situation. "We are in touch with Torden’s lawyers and are ready to take all necessary measures to defend his legal rights and interests," the embassy spokesperson noted.

Earlier on Friday, Finland’s Supreme Court refused to extradite Torden, who had been detained at Kiev’s request, to Ukraine and ruled to release him immediately. According to the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, the man was detained by Finnish border guards immediately after the release.

Russian national Voislav Torden, born in 1987 and formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, has been blacklisted by both the European Union and the United States. Ukraine accuses him of committing crimes in Donbass in 2014 and 2015 and is seeking his extradition. He was detained at the Helsinki airport on July 20 and placed in custody for violating immigration laws by a Finnish court the following day. Employees from the Russian embassy’s consular department visited him on August 28.

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