Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who has been held in Greece since 2017 and is wanted by the United States and France on money laundering charges, has been taken from a Greek hospital to some unknown location, his lawyers said on Thursday
ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2020) Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who has been held in Greece since 2017 and is wanted by the United States and France on money laundering charges, has been taken from a Greek hospital to some unknown location, his lawyers said on Thursday.
This happened soon after the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece announced it was dismissing the defense team's complaint against the decision to extradite Vinnik, who is currently on a hunger strike to protest against his rights violations, to the US and France.
"They have taken Alexander from the hospital, with threats to doctors, [they said] they 'were ordered to deliver him.' His fate is being ignored, [Greek Justice] Minister [Konstantinos] Tsiaras has not responded to us. Since last evening it has been impossible to contact him," lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulo wrote on Facebook.
The lawyer said everything happening to Vinnik was "completely illegal."
"I call for official information to be provided on where Alexander currently is. As his lawyer, I do not know where he is, and I request that I am informed and enabled to contact him directly. He is ill, and this is the 35th day of his hunger strike already," Konstantopoulo added.
Meanwhile, Timofey Musatov, also a member of Vinnik's defense team, told Sputnik that effort was underway to establish Vinnik's whereabouts.
"We are now making attempts to learn by which flight and where they are going to send him, to Paris or somewhere else," Musatov said.
The US accuses Vinnik of laundering $4 billion worth of funds through a cryptocurrency trading platform. Russia and France also seek his extradition on other charges. Vinnik has denied committing any criminal or administrative offenses.
