The relevant agencies in Hungary are deciding on the extradition of Oleksandr Shepelev, a former MP and his wife, as they cannot be granted the status of refugee, having been charged with serious crimes, the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine told Interfax-Ukraine.
“According to Ukraine’s Embassy in Hungary, the relevant agencies of this country are considering the issue of the extradition of Ukrainian citizens Halyna and Oleksandr Shepelev back to their homeland, as Ukraine has charged them with a range of serious crimes,” the ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry noted that these two Ukrainian nationals were put on an international wanted list and arrested in Hungary. Following their arrest, with the aim of avoiding extradition to Ukraine and responsibility for their crimes, the Shepelevs asked Hungary to grant them the status of refugees.
The Foreign Ministry’s press service explained that, according to international legal conventions on the status of refugees, their provisions do not apply to individuals that committed serious crimes.
“The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is waiting for Hungary’s decision regarding the extradition of the Shepelevs to Ukraine,” the press service said.
In April 2012, the chief of the main investigation department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ivan Derevianko, said a criminal case had been opened against an MP of the fifth and sixth convocations (2006-2012), Shepelev in February 2011. The SBU suspects Shepelev of being involved in the embezzlement of the funds of Rodovid Bank worth over UAH 220 million, as well as being involved, along with businessman Pavlo Borulko, in the embezzlement of public funds of the refinancing of the National Bank of Ukraine worth UAH 315.3 million in March-May 2009.
At the same time, Shepelev strongly denied all of the allegations against him, and said that the accusations made against him could be an attempt to draw the attention of mass media away from claims by Borulko that some employees of the SBU are involved in blackmail. Shepelev also said he was not going to leave Ukraine.
On January 28, 2013, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine reported that Shepelev had been put on the international wanted list.
At the beginning of July 2013, Shepelev was detained for 40 days in Budapest, where he had used a Hungarian passport with a false name.
The Hungarian media reported that Shepelev and his wife have asked Hungary for asylum.
Earlier, a court in Budapest ruled to extradite Shepelev to Ukraine by August 14.
