A London court denied Ukraine’s request to extradite MP Dmytruk

On March 4, London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court rejected Ukraine’s request to extradite Artem Dmytruk, a wanted member of parliament from the “Restoration of Ukraine” group. Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General is analyzing the ruling to determine whether to appeal it.

This was reported by the information platform Business Wire, citing the law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP, which acts as counsel for Dmytruk and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP).

“Referring to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the judge cited Mr. Dmytruk’s torture by the Security Service of Ukraine in March 2022 as the reason why his extradition would have a disproportionate impact on his right to respect for private and family life,” the lawyers said.

Advisers to the UOC-MP and the MP stated that “Dmytruk’s persecution in Ukraine took place in the context of his active support for the UOC, in which he serves as a subdeacon, and which the Zelensky administration is trying to ban because of its historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, despite the UOC’s strong support for Ukraine and its material resistance to the Russian invasion.”

Ukraine, which filed the extradition request, now has 14 days to state whether it plans to appeal the verdict.

Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General told that it is studying the court’s decision in detail.