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Russian citizen apprehended in Switzerland under US extradition request — spokeswoman

Vladislav Klyushin is being accused of insider trading worth tens of millions of dollars, carried out together with several accomplices

© Oskar SCHULER/Shutterctock/FOTODOM

GENEVA, June 9. /TASS/. Swiss authorities have arrested Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian citizen, under a request from the US, who accuse him of insider trading and demand his extradition, Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) spokeswoman Ingrid Ryser told TASS Wednesday.

"Russian citizen Vladislav Klyushin was arrested in the Canton of Valais on March 21, 2021, under the order of the Federal of Justice and in connection with a US request. He was put under extradition arrest," she said, adding that the Russian citizen said during his interrogation that he is against being extradited to the US.

On April 19, the US Embassy in Bern reportedly filed "an official request for Klyushin’s extradition based on the bilateral extradition agreement," Ryser added.

"Klyushin is being accused of insider trading worth tens of millions of dollars, [carried out] together with several accomplices," the spokeswoman said.

She underscored that the FOJ is the first authority that makes decisions on the extradition of foreigners. However, the decision could be appealed in Federal Criminal Court. This court’s ruling can also be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court, Switzerland’s highest judicial authority.

The Russian Embassy in Switzerland confirmed "the fact of the arrest of this Russian citizen under a US extradition request in March this year."

According to the diplomatic mission’s spokesman Stanislav Smirnov, "the embassy organized consular access to the Russian citizen from the start."

"The embassy’s consular division and the Russian Consulate General in Geneva has visited him and is staying in contact with him and his lawyers. His rights are being respected in accordance with the law," the spokesman said.

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