UKRAINE-OSMAYEV-ASYLUM
Kyiv, August 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Adam Osmayev, a prime suspect in the case on a plot to assassinate President Vladimir Putin, has asked for asylum in Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine learned from the office of the regional representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ukraine.
“We were informed that he has asked the Ukrainian authorities for asylum,” the office.
The UNHCR office said that under the international legislation Osmayev cannot be extradited before the State Migration Service of Ukraine considers his request. In addition, if the State Migration Service rejects his request, Osmayev has a right to appeal against such a decision. He may not be extradited during all this time.
As to the second detainee in the case, Kazakh citizen Ilya Pyanzin, who is also preparing for extradition to Russia, the Ukrainian government has not got requests for asylum from him.
As reported, Ukraine suspended the procedure of extradition of Osmayev to Russia.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to advise Ukraine not to temporarily extradite Adam Osmayev to Russia.
The ECHR has not yet begun to consider the case on its merits, but since it is a matter of life and death of a person, it recommended that Ukraine suspend the extradition process until the consideration of the case is completed.
As reported, the alleged criminals who were on the international wanted list were arrested during a special operation in Odesa on February 4. These individuals are suspected of staging an explosion in Odesa on January 4, 2012. The explosion killed 26-year-old Russian Ruslan Madayev and seriously injured 28-year-old Kazakh citizen Ilya Pyanzin.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office sent a criminal case, which was opened earlier by the Interior Ministry under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal treatment of weapons, ammunition or explosives), to the investigation department of the SBU office in Odesa region.
Pyanzin was arrested and started actively cooperating with investigators, saying that the leader of his group was Osmayev (who was arrested in Odesa in February).
On February 27, the SBU confirmed reports that Russian and Ukrainian security services had foiled a plot by terrorists, who were arrested in Odesa, to assassinate Putin after presidential elections in Russia.
In March 2012, the testimony of suspects helped to open a criminal case against the detainees under Article 258-3 (the creation of a terrorist organization) and Articles 14 and 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (plotting a terrorist attack).
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office received a request from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office for the extradition of Osmayev, a suspect in Putin’s assassination plot.
The Odesa Region Court of Appeals backed the proposal of the Russian Prosecutor’s General Office to extradite Osmayev to Russia on August 14.
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18:17:42 EET-2
