A court in Prague did not allow the extradition to Ukraine of Russian Franchetti, who took part in the occupation of Crimea

Author:
Oleg Panfilovych
Date:

The Supreme Court of Prague did not allow to extradite to Ukraine the Russian Alexander Franchetti, who took part in the occupation of Crimea. The court motivated its decision by the situation in Ukraine.

This was reported by Czeske Noviny.

The judges concluded that there was a real risk of human rights violations. "Currently, given the military situation in Ukraine, as well as the personal circumstances of the detainee, there is a real threat of violation of the rights guaranteed by international treaties on human rights and fundamental freedoms," the court said.

In addition, according to judges, there are well-founded fears that Franchetti will be prosecuted and aggravated by criminal proceedings in Ukraine after his extradition — due to his citizenship and participation in the occupation of Crimea.

  • On September 12, 2021, the Czech police detained Franchetti at the Prague airport at the request of Ukraine. He was a participant in the "Crimean Spring", which ended with the occupation of the peninsula by Russia.
  • The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office said Ukraine would demand Franchettiʼs extradition for trial. On September 14, a Prague court took the Russian into custody. He said in court that it was a "step towards fascism."