Switzerland has expelled a Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin to the United States. The Russian, Vladislav Klyushin, was arrested in March this year at the request of the Americans. He is accused of hacking, along with others, data belonging to American companies. He would have made tens of millions of dollars from the trade.
Klyushin tried to challenge his extradition. According to him, the charges are fabricated and he will not receive a fair trial in the US. A Swiss court ruled last week that there is no reason to doubt the independence of justice in the United States and gave the final green light for the extradition.
The businessman was escorted by American police officers to Zurich airport last night, from where his plane departed for the US.
‘Washington’s Hunt’
Klyushin is the owner of the company M31, which monetizes media monitoring and digital security services. M31’s site states that the company works for the office of the Russian president and the Russian government.
Russia has reacted angrily and speaks of a “hasty extradition”. A Kremlin spokesman said there was “another episode in Washington’s hunt for Russian citizens in third countries”. Tensions between Russia and the United States have risen further in recent times, mainly because of the situation in Ukraine.
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