Serbia's Top Court Rejects Extradition of Wagner Boss to U.S.

Court: Insufficient Evidence to Approve Extradition of Alleged Wagner Financier to U.S.

The Highest Court in Serbia on Thursday rejected an extradition request by the United States for the alleged financier of Russia's Wagner mercenary group.

The court said there was insufficient evidence to approve the extradition of Alexander Kuznetsov to the U.S. Kuznetsov, who was arrested in Serbia in 2022, is accused of providing financial support to the Wagner group, which has been accused of human rights abuses in Ukraine and other conflict zones. The U.S. had requested Kuznetsov's extradition on charges of violating U.S. sanctions against the Wagner group. However, the Serbian court said the evidence provided by the U.S. was not sufficient to prove Kuznetsov's involvement in the alleged crimes. The court also noted that Kuznetsov is a Russian citizen and that Russia has requested his extradition. The decision is a setback for the U.S., which has been seeking to crack down on the Wagner group and its alleged financiers. The U.S. has accused the Wagner group of being a mercenary organization that has committed war crimes in Ukraine and other conflict zones. The decision is also a sign of the growing tensions between Serbia and the U.S. Serbia has traditionally been close to Russia, and the Serbian government has been reluctant to criticize Russia's actions in Ukraine. The decision is likely to be welcomed by the Russian government, which has been critical of the U.S. request for Kuznetsov's extradition.

New York Times: Serbia Rejects U.S. Extradition Request for Wagner Financier

Reuters: Serbia Court Rejects U.S. Extradition Request for Wagner Financier