Justice Minister Amir Ohana formally signs off on the extradition of computer hacker Alexey Burkov, a Russian national believed by Israeli officials to be linked to Russian intelligence, to the US.
Burkov is wanted in the US on embezzlement charges.
The decision follows “months” of consultations, the Justice Ministry says.
The decision dashes the hopes of the family of an Israeli woman imprisoned in Russia for a pardon in exchange for Israel’s release of Burkov.
Naama Issachar, 26, was arrested in April in Moscow after some 10 grams of marijuana were found in her bag during a stopover. She was flying from India to Israel, and at no point intended to exit the airport in Russia.
Earlier this month, she was sentenced by a Russian court to 7.5 years in prison for drug smuggling, a ruling that sparked an outcry in Israel.
Israeli officials reportedly believed Moscow was using Issachar, who also holds American citizenship, as leverage to ensure Burkov’s return to Russia.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
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