A French court on Wednesday blocked the extradition of exiled Kazakh oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov, an opposition figure wanted on embezzlement charges by Russia and Ukraine.
The cassation court ruled against a decision in December by an appeals court in favour of the extradition of Ablyazov, who was arrested on the French Riviera in July.
The extradition request will now be considered again by a lower court in Lyon.
The former Kazakh energy and trade minister is accused of having stolen billions of dollars in state and investor funds while leading the Kazakh BTA Bank, which also had interests in Ukraine and Russia.
Russia alleges Ablyazov embezzled $5 billion (3.6 billion euros). Ukraine accuses him of pilfering another $400 million.
Ablyazov argues that the allegations against him were fabricated by Kazakhstan as a result of his falling out of favour with the oil-rich country's rulers.
The December ruling said extradition to Russia should take precedence as the sum allegedly embezzled was far greater than that alleged by Ukrainian authorities.
A French court on Wednesday blocked the extradition of exiled Kazakh oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov, an opposition figure wanted on embezzlement charges by Russia and Ukraine.
The cassation court ruled against a decision in December by an appeals court in favour of the extradition of Ablyazov, who was arrested on the French Riviera in July.
The extradition request will now be considered again by a lower court in Lyon.
The former Kazakh energy and trade minister is accused of having stolen billions of dollars in state and investor funds while leading the Kazakh BTA Bank, which also had interests in Ukraine and Russia.
Russia alleges Ablyazov embezzled $5 billion (3.6 billion euros). Ukraine accuses him of pilfering another $400 million.
Ablyazov argues that the allegations against him were fabricated by Kazakhstan as a result of his falling out of favour with the oil-rich country’s rulers.
The December ruling said extradition to Russia should take precedence as the sum allegedly embezzled was far greater than that alleged by Ukrainian authorities.
