French appeals court upholds Alexander Vinnik’s verdict – Bitcoin News
An appeals court in France has confirmed the judgment in the case against the BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik. His lawyers vowed to continue the legal battle against Vinnik’s return to Greece in order to avoid a likely extradition to the United States
Court upholds Vinnik’s 5-year money laundering sentence
The Paris Court of Appeal has upheld the first instance decision in the trial against Alexander Vinnik, Russian media reported. At the end of 2020, the IT specialist and alleged cybercriminal was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering.
Vinnik’s defense team now plans to file an appeal in cassation under French law within five days, wrote the leading Russian business newspaper Kommersant, quoting Vinnik’s lawyer Frédéric Bélot, who also commented:
To sum up what happened, we regret to admit that the court made a “bad decision”. The judge did not want to investigate the money laundering allegations, although the prosecutor’s evidence is far from certain.
Bélot is convinced that the prosecutor is unable to argue that Alexander received compensation for dubious transactions. “That is not the case,” he emphasized. The attorney said he was satisfied with the removal of most of the other charges from the verdict, particularly malware extortion.
Alexander Vinnik’s lawyers are fighting against extradition to the USA
Vinnik’s defense will now focus on making sure he is not transferred back to Greece after his French tenure. His lawyers fear that the Greek authorities could extradite him to the US, where he is also accused of money laundering.
In July 2017, the Russian national was arrested in Thessaloniki, where he was going on vacation with his family. Vinnik was arrested on a US arrest warrant. American prosecutors claim he laundered up to $ 9 billion through the infamous crypto exchange BTC-e.
Frédéric Bélot said the French judge argues that Vinnik’s rights have not been violated in Greece, an EU member state, and does not recognize that the Russian could face extradition to the US and a new trial “under extreme, non-European conditions” imminent. Bélot sees this as a serious threat to the “already shaken physical and mental health” of his client and plans to appeal again in the near future.
Russia, where Vinnik is charged with “computer information fraud,” is also demanding his extradition, but the French judiciary denied Moscow’s request. During his detention in Greece, where he went on a long hunger strike, Vinnik said he was ready to return and appear in court in his home country. At the final Pairs hearing, the lawyers were accompanied by Vinnik’s mother, who arrived in May to support her son.
What do you think of Alexander Vinnik’s case? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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