Official Kremlin requests extradition of Uralkalij CEO

The Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office has already received Russia's request for the extradition of Vladislav Baumgertner, director general of Russian potash company Uralkalij.

Piotr Kisialiou, spokesman for the Prosecutor General's Office, said that the request was under consideration, BelaPAN reports.

Earlier on Tuesday, November 5, RIA Novosti reported with reference to a representative of the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia that the Office had formally requested the extradition of Vladislav Baumgertner, director general of Russian potash company Uralkalij who is currently under house arrest in Minsk. The documents necessary to apply for Mr. Baumgertner's extradition had been sent by the Investigative Committee of Russia to the Prosecutor General's Office on October 18.

On October 21, the Basmanny District Court in Moscow ordered Mr. Baumgertner's arrest at the request of the Investigative Committee of Russia. The Committee charged Mr. Baumgertner with abuse of office. 

Let us recall that Mr. Baumgertner was arrested on August 26 as he was about to fly out of Minsk after a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Miasnikovich. A few days later, Belarusian authorities instituted criminal proceedings against Russian billionaire and other Uralkalij's top executives. On September 16, Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Aleksandr Zvyagintsev announced that the Investigative Committee of Belarus would hand over the investigation of the criminal case to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. Later on Minsk City Court rejected an appeal against district judge's refusal to order the release of Uralkalij CEO; However, later on Vladislav Baumgertner moved to house arrest on the night of 26 September, hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to arrive in Belarus to observe a joint military exercise. Recently Belarus has changed the charges against Vladislav Baumgertner from abuse of office to embezzlement. The Investigative Committee of Russia instituted criminal proceedings against Vladislav Baumgertner on October 14.