Court approves extradition to Russia
A district court in Larnaca has ordered the extradition of an Israeli national to Russia in connection with the 2009 Arctic Sea piracy case, according to a report by YnetNews.
The 47-year-old, identified as Alex Brodsky, formerly known as Alexei Kertsgur in Russia, is wanted by Russian authorities for alleged involvement in the hijacking of the cargo vessel Arctic Sea.
He was arrested in Cyprus on the basis of an international arrest warrant issued by Russia through Interpol. He faces a charge of aggravated piracy, an offence that carries a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment under Russian law.
His lawyer, Nir Yaslovitz, said he will file an appeal before the Supreme Court of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Arctic Sea case
According to the report, Russian authorities accuse Brodsky of participating in the planning and execution of the takeover of the Malta-flagged cargo ship Arctic Sea.
The vessel departed on 23 July 2009 from the Finnish port of Jakobstad carrying timber. Investigators say armed men posing as police officers boarded the ship in the Baltic Sea, assaulted the 15-member Russian crew, tied them up and confined them to cabins while taking control of the vessel.
The incident sparked widespread speculation at the time, including claims that the ship was carrying secret Russian weapons or had links to intelligence services. Russian authorities rejected those allegations, describing the event as an act of piracy.
The Russian navy located and seized the vessel on 17 August 2009 near Cape Verde. Eight primary suspects, mainly from Estonia and Latvia, were arrested, tried and sentenced in 2011 to prison terms of up to 15 years.
Defence arguments
YnetNews reported that a parallel investigation in Latvia in 2009 had named Kertsgur, then an advertising businessman in Riga, as allegedly involved in planning and logistics for the attack.
The Russian side has claimed it previously sought his extradition from Israel without success. It also alleged that the accused had served as a bodyguard to the President of Israel between 2003 and 2006 and had completed military service in Jerusalem.
His lawyer rejected those claims as false, stating that his client did not work at the Presidential Residence but served in the Border Police in Jerusalem.
Before the court, the defence argued that the case involves mistaken identity and that it had not been proven that the arrested individual is the wanted person. Concerns were also raised about the right to a fair trial in Russia, particularly following the country’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe, as well as arguments regarding the statute of limitations.
Court reasoning
The court found that the person arrested in Cyprus is indeed the individual sought by Russian authorities.
According to YnetNews, the change of name from Alexei Kertsgur to Alex Brodsky in 2012 was confirmed through Interpol. Other identifying details, including date of birth, place of birth, and nationality, matched fully.
The court also dismissed general arguments about the lack of oversight by the European Court of Human Rights, noting that specific and personal evidence of risk of rights violations would be required, which it found had not been substantiated.
Regarding limitation, the court ruled that under Russian law the offence has not expired, as proceedings were suspended while the suspect was a fugitive and Russian authorities continued to seek him.
The court concluded that all formal and substantive requirements under Cypriot extradition law and the European Convention on Extradition were met, ordering his detention pending completion of the extradition process.
According to YnetNews, the defence intends to submit a detailed appeal in the coming days and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently examine the case, arguing that politically charged claims were raised by the Russian side during proceedings.
Also read: Trump: Iran developing missiles that could “soon” hit the US
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
