A Russian businessman suspected of insider trading is being held in Switzerland ahead of possible extradition to the United States, it has been confirmed.
The Federal Office of Justice has confirmed Swiss news reports that Vladislav Klyushin was arrested in canton Valais on March 21 and was being held in the town of Sion in southern Switzerland.
The justice office confirmed to the AFP news agency on Tuesday that the US embassy in Bern requested his extradition, accusing him of “running insider trading in the tens of millions (of dollars) with several accomplices”.
Klyushin has reportedly opposed the US extradition request. His lawyer in Geneva did not return phone calls seeking comment on the case.
The affair was first reported on Tuesday by Gotham City, a Swiss investigative news site that specialises in court cases and economic crime, following a Swiss Federal Court ruling. The news comes ahead of the June 16 summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
Klyushin owns M13, a Russian company that offers media monitoring as well as cyber-security services. Its website says its services are used by the Russian presidential administration and government.
Gotham City said Klyushin is close to Alexei Gromov, a senior executive in the Russian presidential administration who is considered “the person in charge of the Kremlin’s media control”. Gromov was placed under US sanctionsExternal link two months ago for his alleged involvement in Russian efforts to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election.
The Swiss justice ministry is responsible for extradition requests but they can be appealed to the Federal Criminal Court and Switzerland’s highest court, the Federal Court.
The Federal Court on May 20 rejected Klyushin’s request to be released from custody in Sion while he fights extradition, saying it saw no need to intervene in the case on procedural grounds.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.