Posted on 07/16/2005 3:46:12 PM PDT by jb6
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department refused to comment on Russia's request to hand over Russian businessman Leonid Nevzlin, currently on international wanted list. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the department has never commented on extradition requests, adding that there is no bilateral agreement on extradition between the United States and Russia.
Casey said he had no information on whether Nevzlin is still in the United States.
On Tuesday, Russia asked the United States to hand over the former top Yukos manager, who has reportedly been in the Unites States for a week.
On Wednesday, Nevzlin asked the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting, chaired by congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ), that Russia be expelled from the G8. He also suggested that the country should not be granted World Trade Organization (WTO) membership.
Smith said at the meeting that Russian authorities had repeatedly asked the State Department and the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over Nevzlin.
Smith told Nevzlin that granting him a visa was a loud and clear signal.
The Russian prosecutor general's office put Nevzlin on the international wanted list in July 2004 with criminal charges and issued a warrant for his arrest.
According to Deputy Prosecutor General Vladimir Kolesnikov, the prosecutor general's office sent Interpol documents with new accusations, including charges of murder and attempted murder, in July of this year.
Nevzlin is charged with the same crimes that Alexei Pichyugin, a former Yukos security service staff member, was convicted of by a jury. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.