Further details have emerged about the case of Ukrainian director Eugene Lavrenchuk, who was detained in Naples on Dec. 17 following an INTERPOL alert issued by Russia.
Ukraine’s ombudswoman Lyudmila Denisova clarified in a post on her social media official page that Lavrenchuk was not arrested following a “Red Notice” by INTERPOL, but a circular note whose distribution was limited to some countries.
She added that this “testifies to Russia’s abuse of the Interpol charter and its misuse as an instrument of hybrid warfare for politically motivated persecution of Ukrainians.” She urged Ukraine’s National Police to contact INTERPOL to obtain the precise details.
More details have emerged from the Italian press on the extradition procedure. As envisaged by the law, Lavrenchuk has already undergone the Appeal hearing, where, in presence of his lawyer Alfonso Tatarano, he formally opposed his extradition to Russia.
Moreover, Lavrenchuk declared to judge Mario Gaudio that he himself is a victim of persecution by the Putin regime, on the grounds of his political opinion and his criticism of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Lavrenchuk explained, through Tatarano, that his persecution started after he had to support the annexation of Crimea.
In order to be released, Lavrenchuk has to find a domicile in Naples.
The Court will reach a decision on the extradition case after having received the opinion of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
