Russian National Burkov To Be Extradited From Israel To US In Near Future- Israel Minister

Russian National Burkov to Be Extradited From Israel to US in Near Future- Israel Minister

Israeli government has explored all legal options but has found no solution that would prevent Russian national Alexei Burkov's extradition to the United States from Israel, making it imminent in the near future, Zeev Elkin, the Israeli co-chair of the Russian-Israeli Intergovernmental Commission, told Sputnik on Thursday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2019) Israeli government has explored all legal options but has found no solution that would prevent Russian national Alexei Burkov's extradition to the United States from Israel, making it imminent in the near future, Zeev Elkin, the Israeli co-chair of the Russian-Israeli Intergovernmental Commission, told Sputnik on Thursday.

Elkin ruled out the possibility of exchanging Burkov, who is allegedly wanted for hacking activities, for Naama Issachar, an Israeli national with dual US citizenship, who was arrested earlier this year in Russia en route home from India. She was found guilty of drug-smuggling and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, a penalty criticized in Israel as "disproportionate" and seen as an attempt to get extra leverage over Burkov's case.

"If Burkov were an Israeli prisoner, convicted in Israel, such a solution could be discussed. But he was arrested in Israel as a result of an American appeal to Interpol and was not convicted in Israel. He goes through the extradition process, almost the entire legal process has already passed," Elkin, a Russian-speaking minister of environment and Jerusalem affairs, said.

"There is a decision of the Israeli Supreme Court on the extradition of Burkov following an American appeal. In this situation the Israeli government is not authorized and has no legal right to do anything. The issue of extradition of Burkov has already been decided on judicially, his extradition will happen in the near future," Elkin added.

The minister claimed that the US extradition request relied on "clear evidence", incriminating Burkov of "committing a crime on American soil against American citizens." Meanwhile, Russia's counter-appeal, according to Elkin, stands no chance "to pass the test at the Israeli Justice Ministry or the country's courts."

"This is not a situation where there are two equivalent requests for extradition and we must make a political decision where to send him. Legally in this situation there is no other option but to extradite Burkov to the US. Therefore it cannot be a solution to the problem of Naama Issachar, not to mention that there is no connection between her case and Burkov's one," Elkin concluded.