Czech Republic to extradite to Ukraine a Russian participant in the annexation of Crimea

The Prague City Court decided to extradite Russian citizen Alexander Franchetti to Ukraine.

Militarnyi informs with reference to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

He is suspected of participating in an illegal armed formation during the occupation of Crimea.

An arrest warrant was issued by the investigators from the National Police according to which the militant was detained by Czech law enforcement agencies at Prague airport.

Alexander Franchetti was detained on September 12, 2021 at the airport in Prague.

He has been wanted since 2019, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that Franchetti is being sought to prosecute for creation the illegal armed formations.

In Ukraine, he faces up to eight years in prison.

It is claimed that in 2014, just days before Russia’s military occupation of the Crimea, Franchetti created a paramilitary formation called North Wind in the region.

It numbered 11 people and was responsible for the protection of various facilities, as well as the identification of “extremist groups.”

Franchetti himself said that he acted in coordination with Russia’s naval command.

Alexander never hid his participation in the occupation of Crimea. In numerous interviews with Russian and even Czech journalists, he has been saying, repeating the theses of Russian propaganda, that he had come to protect Crimeans from the “ Pravyi sektor”.

According to media reports, Franchetti was granted permanent residence in the Czech Republic in 2000 and has worked there as a fitness trainer. At the same time, he regularly visited the Crimea. He says he has never violated international law.