SIMFEROPOL, April 6. /TASS/. Poland’s justice minister will have the final say on whether or not to extradite Russian scientist Alexander Butyagin, who is in the Warsaw pre-trial detention center, the scientist's relatives said on Telegram.
"The Polish court decides only one question - whether extradition is permissible from the point of view of the law. The final decision on whether extradition will be carried out is made by the Polish minister of justice. If the Court of Appeal upholds the decision of the first instance, the case will be transferred to the consideration of the Polish minister of justice," the message says.
The relatives said the extradition decision of the court of first instance was officially handed to Butyagin at the end of last week, and on April 7 it will be handed over to the lawyers. From this point forward, the defense will have a week to appeal. According to the defense, the appeal hearing may take place 1-3 months after the complaint is filed, the message says. Butyagin has the right to participate in the Court of Appeal hearing personally.
The Polish special services detained Butyagin on his way from the Netherlands to the Balkans on December 4, 2025 during his European lecture tour. The Warsaw court arrested the archaeologist - after another extension, he must remain in jail until June 1. The Prosecutor's Office received an extradition request from Ukraine. According to the agency, Butyagin could face up to 10 years in prison in Ukraine. The Warsaw Court of first Instance ruled to extradite Butyagin, and the scientist's defense is going to appeal this decision.