Poland hands over archaeologist Butyagin to Russia despite Ukraine's extradition request
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said that Poland has released Russian archaeologist Alexandr Butyagin to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange, although Ukraine had sought his extradition over excavations in occupied Crimea.
Source: Polish media outlet Rzeczpospolita, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Asked whom Poland had released as part of the prisoner exchange, Sikorski said that among them was Butyagin, whose extradition to Ukraine had been expected.
"One of those we exchanged was a Russian historian who had been in the process of extradition to Ukraine," he said.
The Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing confirmation from Russia's Federal Security Service, that Butyagin is returning to Russia. Also included in the exchange was the wife of a Russian serviceman from Transnistria. They were allegedly exchanged for Moldovan citizens.
Background:
- In March, a court in Poland approved the extradition of Butyagin at Ukraine's request. He filed an appeal.
- It was recently reported that Andrzej Poczobut, an activist of the Polish community in Belarus who had spent many years in prison on fabricated charges, returned to Poland. The prisoner exchange took place with the assistance of the administration of US President Donald Trump.
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