MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika thinks that the US and the UK refuse extradition of Russian citizens accused or suspected of crimes, because their economies benefit from Russian billions leaving the country.
"The reasons (for refusing extradition) are not always political. These countries (the US, the UK) benefit from billions withdrawn from Russia remaining in their economy," Chaika stated.
He noted that "these countries’ officials do not care about the origin of money that our escaped citizens pour into their economy."
According to Chaika, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office is trying to develop working relations with all countries, basing on international agreements such as the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and the European Convention on Extradition. He noted that the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office considers all extradition requests from their foreign colleagues. "We give specific, motivated answers. Sometimes we refuse extradition, but we always explain the motivation behind such a decision," he said.
At the same time, several countries, including the UK and the US, refuse Russia’s extradition requests without providing a reply. "Our partners paint common criminals as victims of political repression, and refuse their extradition," Chaika added.
