Court of Appeal orders extradition over Russian space funds theft

Local CrimerussiaspaceTop News Court of Appeal orders extradition over Russian space funds theft Gavel Relevant News Court of Appeal orders extradition over Russian space funds theft 17 August 2026 Police await Law Office opinion on Drousiotis fundraiser 17 August 2026 Four summer drownings put Cyprus’s unstaffed lifeguard towers in the spotlight 17 August 2026 newsroom 17 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Court of Appeal has ordered the extradition to Russia of a man wanted over the alleged theft of millions of euros from a Russian state space programme, ruling that the arrest warrant against him remains valid. The man, arrested in Cyprus in November 2024, faces charges in Russia of stealing property through fraud and breach of trust. Russian authorities separately allege that around €7.8 million in state funding for the space programme ended up with members of an organised group. Paphos District Court had earlier rejected Russia’s extradition request at first instance. The unanimous ruling was issued on August 11, 2026 by judges C.V. Charalambous, M. Toumazis and Th. Thoma, who read out the decision. According to the facts of the case, the man faces charges in Russia of large-scale theft of property through fraud and breach of trust by an organised group, contrary to article 159(4) of the Russian Criminal Code. According to material put before the Cypriot courts, the case concerns a major Russian space programme, funded by the Russian state with 15.15 billion roubles, more than €160 million. The man worked at the Russian space company running the programme and is alleged to have held a significant role in decision-making. He is accused, along with associates, of arranging for a specific company to be selected without a proper tender process. According to the ruling, 1.32 billion roubles were transferred to the company under a contract allegedly signed for an inflated amount. Of that, around 478 million roubles were used on the project, while around 840 million roubles, about €7.8 million, were allegedly shared among members of his group and laundered through financial transactions. Arrest and first-instance rejection The man was arrested in Cyprus on November 18, 2024 under a provisional arrest warrant, and appeared the next day before Paphos District Court, where he objected to his extradition. He was released on conditional bail, and extradition proceedings followed after the Minister of Justice and Public Order authorised them on December 20, 2024. Paphos District Court had rejected the extradition request in November 2025, ruling it had not been shown that the Russian arrest warrant of December 18, 2020 remained active after January 16, 2021, the date to which the preliminary investigation had been extended. Court of Appeal’s reasoning The Court of Appeal disagreed with that finding. It ruled that nothing in the wording of the warrant itself showed it had ceased to apply after that date. Instead, the warrant provided that the period of detention would be calculated from the man’s actual arrest or, if he were extradited or deported to Russia, from his handover to the Russian authorities. Since he had not yet been extradited or deported to Russia, the court found that period had not been triggered. A document known as a “Diffusion”, through which Russian authorities sought international police cooperation to locate and arrest him, was also treated as decisive. It stated explicitly that there was no time limit on the validity of the arrest warrant. The Court of Appeal found this was material evidence that the first-instance court had not taken into account. The Court of Appeal also dismissed both grounds of the man’s cross-appeal. It rejected the argument that the warrant was flawed because the Russian-language text did not include the criminal case number, finding it had not been shown that this omission made the warrant invalid or unenforceable. It also rejected the argument that Russian authorities had withheld material information from the Cypriot extradition proceedings. The court upheld the first-instance finding that rulings by Russian courts returning the case of his associates to the prosecutor, over problems with expert evidence, did not demonstrate a specific and individual risk that his rights would be violated. The Court of Appeal noted that extradition proceedings are governed by the principle of comity between states and by a liberal interpretation of the relevant international conventions, aimed at the effective fight against serious crime at international level. In its ruling, the Court of Appeal set aside the first-instance decision and ordered the man’s extradition to the Russian Federation to stand trial on the offences covered by the Minister of Justice’s authorisation of December 20, 2024. It also ordered his arrest and police detention until he is handed over to the Russian authorities. The cross-appeal was dismissed. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Police await Law Office opinion on Drousiotis fundraiser Four summer drownings put Cyprus’s unstaffed lifeguard towers in the spotlight Father fighting for life after jet ski hits inflatable carrying five off Protaras Things to do on Monday, August 17 Filippa Fotopoulou leaps into Cyprus history with career-best European finish Woman, 19, arrested after allegedly assaulting police officer in Ayia Napa Who counts as energy poor in Cyprus? New criteria proposed Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.