WARSAW: A Warsaw court decided on Wednesday that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butiagin should be extradited to Ukraine, where he is accused of involvement in unauthorized excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, his lawyer said.
Poland’s decision to arrest the archaeologist at Ukraine’s request in December provoked a furious reaction from Russia, with the Kremlin accusing Poland of “legal tyranny.” In January, Russia summoned the Polish ambassador to demand his release.
“Today the judge decided that the extradition is legally admissible,” lawyer Adam Domanski told reporters. He said Butiagin would appeal.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Butiagin, who allowed his family name to be published, beyond Poland’s usual privacy laws, was an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in December.
