Former Yukos official battles extradition

THE NICOSIA District Court is examining an extradition order from the Russian authorities for a 37-year-old businessman, who is a former official of Russian oil giants Yukos.

Yesterday, the Russian’s defence lawyers Giorgos Giorgiou and Michalis Pikis cross-examined a witness from Russia.

Giorgiou and Pikis claim that there are other motives behind the call to extradite their client back to Russia.

According to the defence team, other officials of the company that went into liquidation “were not given fair trials back in Russia”.

The former head of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been jailed in Russia on charges of tax evasion. His supporters say the case was fabricated in retaliation for Khodorkovsky’s support of opposition politicians.

Worried by the prospect of being tried back home, the 37-year-old businessman has requested political asylum in Cyprus.

The businessman had fled to Cyprus when the company’s assets were seized by the Kremlin.

The Russian authorities issued the extradition order two years ago but it has been since pending at the courts in Cyprus.

Previously, the man’s defence team had submitted reports from the European parliament outlining human right violations in Moscow against former officials of Yukos.

The 37-year-old is under investigation in Russia for embezzling millions of dollars from the company but also for forgery, tax evasion and obtaining funds under false pretences.
The case continues.

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