Ukrainian authorities have extradited to Russia a Kazakh citizen accused of plotting to kill President Vladimir Putin by bombing his motorcade in Moscow after the March 4 presidential election, Channel One reported.
The suspect, Ilya Pyanzin, is now behind bars at Moscow’s Lefortovo detention center awaiting trial, the state television channel reported Saturday evening.
Pyanzin’s extradition followed a ruling by an Odessa court on Thursday that the move was legal, Interfax reported.
Pyanzin faces up to life in prison if convicted of multiple charges, including illegal weapons possession and making an attempt on the life of a political leader, which were sanctioned by a Moscow court in April.
Pyanzin, who initially admitted his guilt in comments broadcast on state-run television channels, along with another suspect, Chechen native Adam Osmayev, later retracted his confession and said evidence he had provided to Ukrainian special services had been given under pressure.
Law enforcement officials did not confirm Pyanzin’s extradition Sunday, and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it had suspended Osmayev’s extradition pending a decision from the European Court of Human Rights.
Pyanzin has been in custody in Odessa since January, when Ukrainian police detained him after an apartment blast, in which he received serious burns.
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