Magomed Dukuzov, who is charged with killing Paul Klebnikov, editor-in-chief of the Russian Forbes magazine, will be extradited to Russia after he is convicted in Ukraine, where he is implicated in a separate criminal case, Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Yevhen Yenin told Interfax.
“We have made a decision on postponed extradition. This individual is facing trial for a crime committed in Ukraine,” Yenin said.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office spokesperson Andriy Lysenko said the Russian citizen is currently under investigation. “He [Dukuzov] is under investigation in Ukraine as of today, the next court hearing is scheduled for late April. The investigation is being conducted by the SBU, Lviv,” Lysenko told Interfax.
Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika earlier said in his annual report, which was obtained by Interfax, that Ukraine had made a decision on Dukuzov’s extradition.
“Despite the aggravation of the interstate relations between Russia and Ukraine, thanks to the efforts of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office the relevant Ukrainian authorities this year made decisions on the extradition to Russia of 22 people, including Magomed Dukuzov, who is charged with the killing of Paul Klebnikov, a citizen of the United States and editor-in-chief of the Russian Forbes magazine,” the report said.
In December 2017, Yenin said that Kyiv would not extradite Dukuzov to Russia until the ruling is handed down in the criminal case initiated against him in Ukraine.
At the same time, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said its officials had detained a Russian citizen who was wanted by Interpol on suspicion of involvement in several contract killings, including of Klebnikov, in Kyiv. According to SBU, after fleeing Russia, the detainee joined an organized criminal group that extorted money from private entrepreneurs in Ukraine.
Paul Klebnikov, editor-in-chief of Russian Forbes magazine, was shot dead in Moscow on July 9, 2004. He was 41.
