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US asked Brazil to extradite Russian suspected of espionage — report

Sergei Cherkasov is serving a prison sentence in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 28. /TASS/. The US has asked Brazil to extradite Russian national Sergey Cherkasov who is suspected of espionage, the Globo newspaper reported on Thursday.

The extradition request was delivered to the Brazilian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, the report said. The Foreign Ministry plans to pass the request on to the country’s Justice Ministry on Thursday.

The US asserts that Cherkasov, who is now serving a jail term in Brazil, acted in the US in the interests of Russian intelligence and committed fraud related to obtaining a visa and the opening of a bank account.

Cherkasov was detained when he attempted to enter the Netherlands using fake Brazilian documents. He is said to have attempted to obtain employment at the International Criminal Court under the name of Victor Muller Ferreira. In Brazil, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for forgery of documents.

According to Globo, Russia has also charged Cherkasov, accusing him of drug trafficking, and asked for an extradition.