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Moscow slams ‘clumsy’ US attempts to extradite Russian citizens over Sovfracht case

In June 2018, the US Department of Justice accused five Sovfracht employees of supplying jet fuel to Syria in violation of the sanctions Washington had imposed against Damascus

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. US sanctions against Sovfracht, a large freight company, are a clumsy attempt to put pressure on Russia, Moscow rejects any Washington’s aspirations to extradite Russian citizens over this case, a commentary by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made public on Wednesday revealed.

"Such actions by the American side are nothing more than a clumsy attempt to put pressure on Russia which contradicts the norms of international law, besides being an infringement on the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens. We continue to proceed from the fact that the practice of unilateral enforcement measures and the persecution of our citizens actively used by Washington is unacceptable and illegitimate in its essence. We reject any US aspirations to attain the extradition of our citizens by means of exterritorial application of the norms of its own national legislation. This is our unwavering position and we will firmly uphold it," the commentary said.

The spokeswoman reiterated that the American authorities had frozen Sovfracht’s multimillion bank transfers and since 2018, five of its employees have been subjected to legal persecution within the framework of a criminal case initiated by the US Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia. "It has been repeatedly emphasized that the activity of AO Sovfracht is implemented on the basis of officially concluded contracts and in strict compliance with Russian legislation. The jet fuel that the company was delivering was not re-exported, resold or transferred to a third party. It was used in the fight against terrorist groups as well as to remedy the consequences of regional emergency situations," she specified.

In June 2018, the US Department of Justice accused five Sovfracht employees of supplying jet fuel to Syria in violation of the sanctions Washington had imposed against Damascus. It was alleged that "they conspired to violate US economic sanctions against Syria and Crimea, by sending jet fuel to Syria and making US dollar wires to Syria and to sanctioned entities in Syria without receiving a license from the US Treasury Department.".

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