A Finnish court has released the leader of the Rusich Nazi group. Ukraine's extradition request was denied

The Supreme Court of Finland has ordered the release of the co-founder of the Rusich sabotage and assault reconnaissance group, neo-Nazi Yan Petrovsky. Ukraine had requested his extradition, but it was denied.

The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports.

The court's decision was based on Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." According to the court, the conditions of detention in Ukrainian prisons violate this article, and Petrovsky may be at risk of torture.

Since 2004, Yan Petrovsky has lived in Norway. In 2014-2015, he participated in the Russian war against Ukraine. Because of this, in 2016, Norwegian law enforcement officers deported him to Russia. The militant has been under sanctions since 2022.

Later, it became known that Petrovsky came to Finland under a new name based on his wife's studies. In the summer of 2023, the militant's wife entered the Finnish University of Applied Sciences. Together with her and their three children, Petrovsky received a one-year residence permit. They moved to Finland on July 19.

In August 2023, it became known that he had been detained. On August 15, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine submitted a request to Finland for the militant's arrest. 

On August 28, when Russian consuls visited him, Petrovsky requested extradition to Russia. The illegal armed group Rusich even announced that it would cease participation in hostilities until the militant Petrovsky was deported to Russia.