Ukraine has sent a request to Serbia for the extradition of Andriy Naumov, the former director of the Main Directorate of Internal Security of the SBU, who is suspected by Ukraine of treason and who helped Russian troops to capture the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
“The court of the city of Nis is considering the case of the Ukrainian citizen, Andriy Naumov, on the basis of a request for extradition to Ukraine,” said the press secretary of the court.
Naumov, whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi called a traitor and stripped him of his brigadier general rank, fled the country on February 23, hours before the Russian invasion began.
The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine reported that Andriy Naumov could collect and transfer to the Russian special services data that constitutes a state secret, especially regarding the safety systems of the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Before joining the SBU, Andriy Naumov headed the state enterprise “Center for Organizational, Technical and Informational Support of the Management of the Exclusion Zone”. He is involved in a number of journalistic investigations into smuggled imports and customs corruption schemes. Even as the head of the Main Department of Internal Security of the SBU, he appeared in the investigation of journalists of the “Scheme” for the purchase of elite properties, which is not comparable to the official income of a civil servant.
In early June, Naumov was detained at the border point between Serbia and North Macedonia. In his possession, the police found undeclared funds: more than 600 thousand euros and about 125 thousand dollars in cash, as well as jewelry.
With him in the car was Ukrainian businessman and German citizen Oleksandr Akst, who was also detained. Naumov and Akst are in the detention center of the city of Nis, accused of money laundering.
Grounds for extradition
It is not known that Kiev indicated the reason for Naumov’s extradition, because at the first hearing, which took place on October 19, Ukraine’s petition was not read, Naumov’s lawyer Tanya Savych said.
The meeting was postponed because Naumov asked for a Ukrainian translator, she adds.
“We still don’t know officially if the extradition is requested on the basis of some general crime, or if it is treason, as the president of Ukraine has mentioned several times,” says Savych.
Meanwhile, a source in Ukraine’s special services said a request for Naumov’s extradition was sent to Serbia in September.
Savich says her client told the court he feared for his life if extradited to Ukraine.
“In 2020, an attempt was made against him and we have a court decision against the person who committed it.
“There is a doubt that the leaders are now in the highest presidential circles. He says: if he is extradited, it will be his death sentence”, asserts Savych.
A source in Ukraine’s special services reported that extradition is being sought on suspicion of corruption.
“The reason is corruption, embezzlement of state funds. In this way, it is more likely that they will return”, explains the source.
The agreement on international cooperation in criminal matters, which regulates the issue of extradition, is in force between Ukraine and Serbia.
Serbia’s Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for extradition of foreign nationals, had not responded to questions about Naumov’s extradition request at the time of publication.
There was no response even from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for communication with the state bodies of other countries.