Russia has issued a stark warning to its residents, advising them in opposition to journey to international locations with extradition treaties with the United States.
In a journey advisory on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry acknowledged that “the intensity of Washington’s punitive justice” has elevated for the reason that 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It cautioned that people threat prolonged jail sentences if extradited to the US.
“With numerous extraterritorial sanctions targeting strategic segments of the domestic economy, many Russians, without even realising it, risk finding themselves in the crosshairs of American law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” the ministry stated.
It stated, with out offering proof or examples, that “U.S. intelligence agencies often engage in fraudulent schemes to lure Russian citizens abroad with lucrative commercial or tourist offers”.
Russians have been generally detained instantly on arrival in a 3rd nation, the assertion stated. The journey warning applies to Russians “who have reasonable grounds to believe they may be subject to criminal prosecution by U.S. authorities”, or these showing on U.S. sanctions lists.
Among the international locations most probably to extradite Russians to the U.S., the ministry named Britain, Switzerland, most EU members, Canada, Australia, Israel, a lot of Latin America, Liberia, Morocco and plenty of Asian states.
Russia stated greater than 100 of its nationals had been transferred to the U.S. on this manner since arms vendor Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008.
Bout spent 14 years in jail in the U.S. for arms trafficking, cash laundering and conspiring to kill Americans. He was freed in 2022 in alternate for Brittney Griner, a U.S. basketball star who was imprisoned in Russia for bringing hashish vape oil into the nation.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-arrests-us-viktor-bout-b2951487.html