A judge in Poland has ruled that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin can be extradited to Ukraine, although his defence says he will appeal. Butyagin is being held in a Warsaw prison for allegedly conducting illegal excavations and plundering artefacts from the ancient city of Myrmekion in Crimea - Ukraine's peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
If Judge Dariusz Łubowski's ruling is upheld, a final decision on extradition will rest with Poland's justice minister. Butyagin, arrested in Poland at Ukraine's request in December, denies all allegations. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail. Russia has demanded his immediate release, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several European courts have previously refused to extradite Russians to Ukraine, citing risks of human rights violations. Butyagin's lawyer argues that his client's life and wellbeing would be at risk if extradited to Ukraine.
A senior scholar at the Hermitage, Russia's largest art museum, Butyagin has overseen excavations at Myrmekion since 1999. Initially working under Ukrainian authorization, he continued excavating following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
He could face a jail term of up to five years if convicted of accusations including the plundering of 30 gold coins, causing damages estimated at over $4.5 million. Just before his arrest, Butyagin was giving public talks across Europe; he was not expecting to be arrested in the EU.
The excavations are illegal under international guidelines, particularly the 2nd protocol of The Hague Convention, which aims to protect cultural property during armed conflict, a protocol to which Russia is not a signatory. Butyagin has expressed a desire to return to his family and change his life, avoiding direct answers regarding his future excavation plans if he prevails in court.
If Judge Dariusz Łubowski's ruling is upheld, a final decision on extradition will rest with Poland's justice minister. Butyagin, arrested in Poland at Ukraine's request in December, denies all allegations. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail. Russia has demanded his immediate release, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several European courts have previously refused to extradite Russians to Ukraine, citing risks of human rights violations. Butyagin's lawyer argues that his client's life and wellbeing would be at risk if extradited to Ukraine.
A senior scholar at the Hermitage, Russia's largest art museum, Butyagin has overseen excavations at Myrmekion since 1999. Initially working under Ukrainian authorization, he continued excavating following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
He could face a jail term of up to five years if convicted of accusations including the plundering of 30 gold coins, causing damages estimated at over $4.5 million. Just before his arrest, Butyagin was giving public talks across Europe; he was not expecting to be arrested in the EU.
The excavations are illegal under international guidelines, particularly the 2nd protocol of The Hague Convention, which aims to protect cultural property during armed conflict, a protocol to which Russia is not a signatory. Butyagin has expressed a desire to return to his family and change his life, avoiding direct answers regarding his future excavation plans if he prevails in court.
