Zelensky Seeks Extradition of Aleksandr Granovsky

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is reportedly requesting the extradition of former opposition lawmaker Aleksandr Granovsky from the UK on charges of corruption, according to a media outlet. Granovsky, however, maintains that the accusations against him are politically motivated.

Granovsky, who served as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2019 with the European Solidarity party of former President Petro Poroshenko, is accused of selling fertilizers to a selected firm at prices below market value.

This firm allegedly resold the products at full price abroad, resulting in a loss to the Ukrainian state of 93.3 million hryvnias (approximately $2.2 million).

Granovsky has denied the allegations, asserting that the evidence is fabricated. He relocated to the UK in 2022 after the investigation began.

In 2023, Kiev submitted an extradition request to the UK, and recently escalated the matter by issuing an indictment and placing Granovsky on a wanted list, as reported by the media outlet.

In an interview with the publication, Granovsky expressed his belief that he has been fighting the charges for years and considers himself a "victim of political persecution."

He emphasized his desire for a fair and transparent resolution to his case and stated that he trusts the British legal system to prevent his extradition.

Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, the former director of public prosecutions in the UK, told the newspaper that Ukrainian courts had failed to meet "minimum trial standards" by disregarding Granovsky’s claims of falsified evidence.

He also raised concerns over potential human rights violations. Labour peer Lord Glasman remarked that the case appears to be part of a broader strategy by Zelensky’s government to “eliminate opponents by legal means” and warned that Kiev’s pursuit of Granovsky could create tension in diplomatic relations with London.

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