1 November 2021. RIA Novosti
Translated by Elizaveta Ovchinnikova
Yury Zhdanov: Russia could not prevent detained in South Korea Dunaev from being extradited to the United States
‘The Russian Federation could not prevent the Russian national Vladimir Dunaev, detained in South Korea, from being extradited to the United States, since he has not been prosecuted in our country.’ This stated to RIA Novosti Head of the International Police Association Russian Section Yury Zhdanov.
Earlier, the US Department of Justice reported that South Korea extradited Dunaev to the USA at the request of the American side. Now he faces up to 60 years’ imprisonment penalty on charges of cybercriminal activities. According to the Russian Embassy in Seoul, Dunaev was detained in South Korea in May.
‘According to my data, there has been no criminal prosecution initiated against Vladimir Dunaev in our country. Therefore, we have no right to file a competing request for his return. Another issue is whether he is guilty or not. It is impossible to comment on this without examining his criminal case file,’ Mr Zhdanov said.
According to him, the procedure for detention and placement under pre-extradition arrest, as well as the subsequent extradition of foreigners, including to a state that is not a detainee’s country of nationality, is regulated by the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation and international treaties. In their absence, the procedure can also be carried out based on the principle of reciprocity.
‘In order for [Dunaev] to be extradited to us, we need a competing extradition request. This is possible only if a citizen faces criminal prosecution in our country,’ Mr Zhdanov explained.