A tug-of-war continues in the competition for the extradition of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash to the USA. Despite the fact that Austrian Justice Minister Clemens Jabloner approved the Supreme Court's court on extradition, Firtash may remain in Austria.
A spokeswoman for Jabloner told Ö1-Morgenjournal on 16 July that the justice minister agreed to Firtash’s extradition to the United States and that Firtash’s lawyer Dieter Böhmdorfer
was informed of this decision on 15 July.
The immediate extradition of Firtash will not take place. The reason for this was the request of the defence to reconsider the case, for which the district criminal judge of Vienna granted a suspensive effect.
The judge must make a decision on the merits of the request to re-examine the extradition case.
A spokeswoman for the District Criminal Court of Vienna, Christine Salzborn, said in this regard that the defence had accompanied the request for a retrial with "very extensive materials". In case of a negative decision, Firtash’s defence will have the opportunity to appeal.