London court rejects extradition request for former Zelensky ally
A London court has rejected Ukraine's extradition request for Artem Dmytruk, a controversial lawmaker who previously represented President Volodymyr Zelensky's party in parliament.
Dmytruk has been charged with assaulting a soldier and a law enforcement officer in separate altercations.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court argued on March 4 that Dmytruk's extradition would violate Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, home, and correspondence, the news outlet Business Wire reported.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office confirmed the court decision in a comment for the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda on March 5. The prosecutor's office said that it is examining the decision and considering appealing it.
Dmytruk has accused the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) of torturing him. The SBU did not respond to a request for comment.
He has also claimed that the Zelensky administration persecuted him due to his support for the Russian-backed Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The President's Office did not respond to a request for comment.
Dmytruk, a powerlifter, was elected to parliament on the list of Zelensky's Servant of the People party in 2019 and was expelled from it in 2021 after regularly expressing pro-Russian views.
Ukraine's State Investigation Bureau said in 2024 that Dmytruk had illegally crossed the border from Ukraine's Odesa Oblast to Moldova.
Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60, with some exceptions, are not allowed to leave the country as they may be called up for military service.
Dmytryk was charged a day after he fled Ukraine.
While in Odesa, Dmytruk, along with accomplices, allegedly caused minor bodily harm to an on-duty law enforcement officer during an argument. He also allegedly attempted to steal the officer's weapon.
In another incident in Kyiv, Dmytruk allegedly got into an altercation with a soldier, hitting him on the head several times and causing moderate bodily harm.
