Serbia denies Ukraine's extradition request for former SBU general Naumov — report

The Serbian Court of Appeal in Nis has upheld a previous ruling to deny Ukraine's extradition request for the former chief of the SBU (Ukraine’s security service) internal security department, Andriy Naumov, RFE/RL reported on Oct. 5.

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Thus, Serbia has made the final decision on the matter.

Ukraine sent an extradition request for Naumov in mid-October 2022. As previously reported by Ukrainian journalists, Naumov was declared suspect on two charges of embezzlement, squandering state property, abusing his position to seize it, causing state losses worth over UAH 3.2 million ($87,000).

Naumov himself stated during the court hearings he fears for his life in case of a return to Ukraine.

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In early June 2022, the former general was arrested at the border crossing between Serbia and North Macedonia with undeclared funds: over EUR 600,000 and approximately $125,000 in cash and valuables.

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He began working at the SBU after Ivan Bakanov took over in 2019, where he managed the internal security of the special service. He held his position until July 2021.

Naumov left Ukraine on February 23, 2022, accompanied by several people. In March 2022, several of his residences were searched by law enforcement investigating a treason case. On March 31, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stripped Naumov of his brigadier general rank.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine