France arrests Russian basketball player at request of US
(MENAFN) Russian national basketball team player Daniil Kasatkin has been arrested in France at the request of the United States, according to AFP. The athlete was taken into custody on June 21 at Charles de Gaulle Airport after arriving with his fiancée.
US authorities accuse Kasatkin of being involved with a hacking group that allegedly extorted ransom payments from around 900 businesses and two federal agencies between 2020 and 2022. The US claims he negotiated payments for the group.
At a court session on Wednesday, a judge decided that Kasatkin would remain in custody while extradition proceedings are underway.
Kasatkin denies the charges. His lawyer, Frederic Belot, stated that his client has limited computer knowledge and that the accusations might stem from a secondhand laptop he purchased, which could have been compromised or registered under someone else's name.
Shortly after his arrest, Kasatkin’s former team, Moscow-based MBA, announced his departure. He had played 172 games for the club and earned two bronze medals in the Russian national league.
His case follows a series of arrests involving Russian nationals abroad. In one notable instance, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was detained in France in August 2024 on allegations of failing to prevent criminal use of his platform. Durov, who was later released on €5 million bail, claimed French authorities pressured him to implement more censorship on Telegram.
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