Finland refuses extradition of accused Neo-Nazi linked to paramilitary group Rusich
Yan Petrovskyi (Photo: resource of the occupiers)

The Supreme Court of Finland refused to extradite to Ukraine the war criminal Yan Petrovsky, who is one of the leaders of the Nazi sabotage assault reconnaissance group "Rusich", reported Helsingin Sanomat.

For in-depth analysis and longer stories, follow us on LinkedIn

Finland reportedly cannot agree to extradition because of the conditions in Ukrainian prisons.

According to the Finnish judges, in case of extradition, Petrovsky "will be threatened with a situation that degrades his dignity."

According to the decision, there are no longer any conditions for keeping a militant in custody to ensure possible extradition.

Petrovsky's representative, Heikki Lampela, said that his "client's" prison term will soon end.

On August 25, 2023, the Finnish channel MTV3, citing investigation documents, reported the detention of Petrovsky, a suspect in terrorist crimes from June 2014 to August 2015 in Russian-occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

On the same day, Ukrainian prosecutors announced their intention to extradite Petrovsky to Ukraine and began preparing the necessary documents for this.

REFERENCE. Sabotage Assault Reconnaissance Group (DShRG) "Rusich" is a pro-Russian gang that fought from June 2014 to July 2015 as part of another illegal paramilitary group "Batman" in Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, and then – with the beginning of a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The first leader of the gang was the sadist Aleksey Milchakov, who was alive and in the Russian Federation as of August 2023. The gang became known after the shooting from the ambush of the "Aidar" column near the village of Metalist on September 5, 2014, when the Russians tortured and killed captured Ukrainians, filming it on video/photos. Milchakov and Petrovsky openly confessed to war crimes. According to the US Treasury Department, Petrovsky is the leader of "Rusich" after Milchakov was wounded during the fighting near Kharkiv in 2022.

The Prosecutor General's Office reported that on August 15, a request for the detention and temporary arrest of Petrovsky was sent to the relevant Finnish authorities in order to prevent the return of the war criminal to Russia.

Petrovsky received a residence permit in Finland under the name of Voislav Torden thanks to his wife, who was admitted to one of the Finnish universities.

warFinlandcourtextraditionYan PetrovskyRusich