Prague, Oct 10 (CTK) – A Czech district court turned down yesterday a legal complaint by Russian businessman Aleksey Torubarov, claiming two million crowns in compensation for his unlawful extradition to Russia.
According to the court verdict, which has not yet taken effect, Torubarov has not submitted substantiated pieces of evidence to prove that he suffered other than proprietary harm by the extradition.
Torubarov’s wife Svetlana originally claimed another two million crowns in compensation, but she withdrew her complaint without any justification yesterday.
Russian authorities accused Torubarov of a business fraud in 2009 and Interpol launched a search for him a year later. The Czech police detained him on the Czech-Austrian border when he was going to spend holidays in Italy.
Torubarov applied for asylum in the Czech Republic, but he was taken into custody on the basis of an international warrant for his arrest. Russia sought his extradition.
Former justice minister Pavel Blazek (Civic Democrats, ODS) decided on Torubarov’s extradition in May 2013, though the asylum procedure had not been completed yet.
Torubarov fled Russia again after six months. Now he seeks international protection in Hungary that he must not leave.
He was represented by his wife at the Czech court yesterday.
His defence lawyer says Torubarov’s health was damaged as a consequence of the unlawful extradition and that he lives in permanent stress and fears of a new extradition to Russia.
“In view of the fact that the complainant did not prove the proclaimed interference, his complaint was rejected. It does not suffice to claim that other than proprietary damage was incurred, it must be really proved as well,” judge Marketa Jiraskova said.
Justice Ministry representative Barbora Vojtiskova shares this view. She also points out that the Czech Republic is not responsible for any harm the man suffered by the prosecution and custody in Russia.
The Czech state has already approved a compensation of 250,000 crowns to him, Vojtiskova added.
Torubarov’s defence lawyer argues that he cannot submit evidence as the Russian authorities would not provide it. He called the court’s decision absurd.
The Czech Constitutional Court (US) ruled two years ago that the Justice Ministry should not decide on extradition abroad until the foreigner’s request for international protection is proceeded.
According to a court finding, Torubarov’s extradition violated international treaties and the criminal order.
The case stirred up a conflict between Czech politicians.
Former Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09 chairman) even tried to prevent the takeoff of the Russian plane with Torubarov by having a tanker placed in front of it. A legal complaint was filed against him over it, but the police shelved it a few months later.
($1=24.249 crowns)
