Former Ukrainian SBU general Naumov released from Serbian jail. He is wanted in Ukraine
Former head of the Main Department of Internal Security of the Security Service of Ukraine Andriy Naumov, who is suspected of treason, was released in Serbia, reported BBC News Ukraine, which received confirmation from the High Court of the city of Niš.
Naumov was released from prison at the beginning of December, the Serbian authorities confirmed. At the same time, due to the consideration of the appeal, his documents were confiscated and he was forbidden to leave the country.
Naumov's lawyer Oleksandr Ovchinnikov said that he filed a complaint against the ban on leaving Serbia, arguing that it was a "threat to life", but the court did not satisfy it.
"There are contradictions in the position of the same court, as well as in the actions aimed at isolating Andriy Naumov. Our team is documenting all violations in this process for further appeal in international courts," the lawyer said.
In November 2023, Serbia refused to extradite Naumov to Ukraine allegedly because of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's words about the "betrayal" on the part of the former security official.
On September 29, the High Court in Niš also sentenced Naumov to a year in prison on charges of money laundering. According to his lawyer, the defense will appeal this decision.
On March 30, 2022, Radio Liberty's investigative project Skhemy reported that former SBU top official Naumov left Ukraine on the eve of the full-scale invasion, and a case was opened against him. On March 31, Naumov was stripped of the rank of general.
On June 11, 2023, Naumov and his driver, a German citizen, were detained at the border with North Macedonia. 600,000 euros, $125,000 and two valuable emeralds were found in the car. In court, the former SBU official denied the investigation's accusations and claimed that it was his personal money.
On July 29, Reuters reported that Naumov was charged with treason and passing secrets about the security of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
The State Bureau of Investigation earlier charged Naumov with fraud.