The Varna District Court refused the extradition of a Ukrainian citizen to his home country because of a lack of guarantees that his rights would be respected, the court said on Wednesday. He is being investigated there for participating in an armed criminal group with the purpose of assault, kidnapping, exercising physical violence against individuals and theft. The man had been implicated in the acts as early as September 2021.
The Malinovsky District Court of Odessa ordered his detention as he had evaded prosecution and absconded. The 30-year-old man was detained in Varna at the end of February. He was granted temporary protection in the country but did not apply for and was not granted asylum.
The Court refused extradition, referring to an official Declaration by Ukraine, annexed to letter JJ9359C of 13 May 2022 and sent to the Council of Europe, the press service specified. In it, the Ukrainian authorities notify that, while hostilities are ongoing, they cannot guarantee the fulfilment of their obligations under a number of international cooperation treaties, including the European Convention on Extradition and the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.
The court's decision is subject to appeal within seven days, and the Ukrainian citizen will remain in custody pending a possible appeal hearing.
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