Situation of Alexander Vinnik - Q&A from the press briefing (31 January 2020)

Q: The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that France’s actions vis-à-vis the Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who was taken into custody, are unacceptable for Moscow, which calls on Paris to act within the law. According to her, Moscow will continue to insist on his extradition to Russia. What is France’s response?

A: Under the European arrest warrant issued by France, Alexander Vinnik was extradited from Greece to our country on January 23. The extradition process itself is within the jurisdiction of the courts.

On January 27, consular access was granted and the Russian consul-general was able to meet with Mr. Vinnik. The provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the 1966 Consular Convention between France and the Russian Federation are therefore being fully respected.