Russian Federation did not receive a request for extradition of Russians who delivered a cargo of nitrate to Lebanon

22 January 2021

 

Russia has not received any requests for the extradition of the internationally wanted Russian citizens - the owner and captain of the Rhosus ship, which in 2013 delivered 2.7 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate to the seaport of Beirut. This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office in response to the agency's request.


"The General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation has not received any requests for the extradition and legal assistance of Igor Grechushkin and Boris Prokoshev from the competent bodies of foreign states," noted the press service. The General Prosecutor's Office recalled that, since Grechushkin and Prokoshev are citizens of the Russian Federation, they are not subject to extradition to another state, nor to detention in Russia at the request of the competent authorities of foreign states for extradition.

 

 

On January 12, Interpol issued an international wanted list for the captain and owner of the ship Rhosus. The news portal El Nashra reported that the individuals were Boris Prokoshev, who was the ship's captain in 2013, and its owner, Khabarovsk entrepreneur Igor Grechushkin, who lives in Cyprus. In addition, Portuguese Jorge Moreiro, who deals in nitrates, is also wanted.


A red notice was issued by Interpol in response to a request from the Lebanese attorney general's office. "The red notice requires the law enforcement authorities of Interpol member states to arrest the wanted person in order for the judicial authorities to then decide whether to extradite him to the country that initiated the search.


On October 2, Lebanese Judge Fadi Sawan, who heads the commission of inquiry into the emergency incident in the port of Beirut, announced his intention to question the captain and owner of the Rhosus. Prokoshev had earlier stated that he did not consider himself guilty of the explosion and would defend his interests.

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: WAEL HAMZEH / EPA / TASS

Based on materials from TASS