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US May Consider Alexander Vinnik For Prisoner Swap With Russia, Lawyer Says – Bitcoin News
Crypto exchange BTC-e’s alleged operator Alexander Vinnik could be a candidate for prisoner exchange between the US and Russia. This is according to a statement from one of his lawyers to the Russian media. The last court hearing in Vinnik’s case has been postponed.
Russian accused of laundering billions through crypto may come home, according to lawyer
A lawyer for Alexander Vinnik, alleged operator of the infamous BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, believes his client may be considered for a US-Russia prisoner exchange.
David Rizk, who represents Vinnik in the US, commented on Vinnik’s potential return in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency, cited by other Russian media and crypto news outlets. “I wouldn’t rule out that possibility,” he said.
The Russian IT specialist has been in US custody since August last year, when he was extradited from Greece. US authorities accuse him of laundering at least $4 billion through the now-defunct coin trading platform. If the 43-year-old Russian is found guilty, he faces up to 55 years in prison.
Alexander Vinnik was arrested while on vacation in Thessaloniki in 2017. Athens approved an extradition request filed by the United States, but first handed him over to France, in December 2019, where he served a five-year sentence for money laundering before being returned to France . Greece. French and Greek authorities have ignored Russia’s extradition requests.
In September 2022, another member of Vinnik’s defense team, French lawyer Frederic Belot, urged the Moscow government to add its citizens to a possible prisoner swap deal with Washington. In October, he also asked Russian Patriarch Kirill to help “save” the crypto entrepreneur, whose health has deteriorated after time in isolation and a hunger strike.
In December, Russian media reported that Alexander Vinnik has applied for bail, citing the delay in his trial. Last week, a scheduled court hearing via video call was postponed until February 24 “due to confusion with the schedule at the prison” where he is being held, according to the RIA Novosti report.
Do you think Alexander Vinnik will be exchanged for American citizens in Russian custody? Share your thoughts on the topic in the comments section below.
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