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Czech court refuses to extradite Russia’s Alexander Franchetti to Ukraine

Against the backdrop of the military conflict in Ukraine there is a real risk of violations of his human rights by the authorities of that country, spokesman for the City Court of Prague Adam Wenig noted

PRAGUE, June 23. /TASS/. The Supreme Court in Prague has refused to order the extradition of Russian national Alexander Franchetti to Ukraine, whose authorities accuse him involvement in the events of 2014 that resulted in Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

"The Supreme Court in Prague sees no possibility of extraditing Russian citizen Alexander Franchetti to Ukraine, since against the backdrop of the military conflict afoot there there is a real risk of violations of his human rights [by the authorities of that country]," the spokesman for the City Court of Prague, Adam Wenig, told the media.

Meanwhile, Franchetti can be convicted under the laws of the Czech Republic. On April 21, the National Center for Combating Organized Crime charged him with participating in an organized criminal group during the events of 2014.

These charges against Franchetti were brought shortly after the Supreme Court in Prague ruled that he should be released from custody, where he had remained since September last year. Franchetti did not even have time to walk through the gates of the penitentiary. He was detained by the police again and accused of participating in an organized criminal group. The prosecutor's office opened a criminal case again.

On September 14, 2021, the City Court of Prague remanded Franchetti in custody. He had been detained at the city’s airport on September 12 for fear he might leave the Czech Republic. An international warrant issued by Kiev was the reason for his detention.

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