Finland rejects extradition of Russian neo-Nazi militant due to concerns over Ukraine’s prison conditions
Finland's Supreme Court has refused to extradite a Russian militant from the neo-Nazi Rusich Group, Yan Petrovsky, to Ukraine, the Finnish newspaper HS reported on Dec. 8.
The Finnish Supreme Court ruled to release Petrovsky from custody, stating that "there are no longer any grounds for keeping him." However, Petrovsky will not be released immediately.
One of the reasons cited by the court to justify its refusal to extradite the Russian fighter to Ukraine is the conditions of detention in Ukrainian prisons, the publication wrote. The European Court of Human Rights has recognized these conditions as a violation of the third article of the Human Rights Convention, which prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
The Supreme Court judges believe that if Petrovsky were extradited to Ukraine, he would face a threat of degrading treatment.
Who is Yan Petrovsky?
Petrovsky, nicknamed Veliky Slavyan (Great Slav), is the second-in-command of the "Rusich" Sabotage Assault Reconnaissance Group, a Russian far-right and neo-Nazi paramilitary unit that operates within the Russian army, engaging in conflict against Ukrainian forces. The group is also known to have connections with the Wagner mercenary group.
Petrovsky fought in the ranks of the Rusich Group in Donbas in 2014-2016. He is currently wanted, according to Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry database, with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office accusing him and his associates of killing and torturing Ukrainian military personnel.
Petrovsky went to live in Finland under an assumed name and because his wife is studying there. He received a permit for one year of residence in Finland under the name of Voislav Torden.
Finnish police detained the militant Petrovsky at Helsinki-Vantaa airport on July 20 on suspicion of immigration violations when he and his family were traveling to France to visit relatives.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office reported on Aug. 25 that a Russian citizen suspected of being a member of a terrorist organization had been detained in Finland.
Petrovsky has requested that he be extradited to the Russian Federation, the Russian embassy in Finland has said in a statement on Aug. 28.
The Finnish court kept Petrovsky in custody on Sep. 14.
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