Ukraine has completed all the necessary procedures for the extradition of Dmytro Svyatash from Sweden

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and courts have completed all necessary procedural steps for the possible extradition from Sweden of former Member of Parliament Dmytro Svyatash. He served as a member of parliament during the 4th through 8th convocations and was convicted in Ukraine of justifying Russia’s armed aggression and fraud amounting to 2.2 billion hryvnias.

“In the case of Dmytro Svyatash, the prosecutor’s office and the courts completed all procedural steps within their authority as quickly as possible, necessary to ensure his extradition from Sweden to Ukraine for all criminal proceedings,” the statement reads.

As noted by the Office of the Prosecutor General, the case was unique in that the criminal proceedings against Svyatash were at different stages of judicial review and were being handled by different courts. Despite this, thanks to the simultaneous and prompt work of prosecutors and courts, all necessary procedural issues were resolved as quickly as possible, laying the groundwork for extradition in connection with all criminal proceedings.

Prosecutors ensured the preparation and submission of all necessary materials, their proper formatting and translation, as well as the justification of the legal position regarding extradition. This work was carried out in parallel across all criminal proceedings.

The Prosecutor’s Office consistently advocated for the need to ensure the criminal prosecution of Svyatash and took all measures within its power to ensure the timely completion of the necessary procedures.

To ensure proper handling of extradition issues in the criminal proceeding currently pending before the Kyiv Court of Appeals, prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General responsible for international cooperation were additionally included in the team of prosecutors. This allowed for a comprehensive analysis of the international legal aspects of the case and a proper justification of the prosecution’s position.

It was the courts hearing the relevant cases that played a decisive role in ensuring the possibility of extradition.

The Kyiv Court of Appeals, although procedurally authorized to resolve the matter without holding a court hearing, exercised its right to conduct a hearing with the participation of the parties. This made it possible to directly hear the positions of the parties to the proceedings and to provide additional safeguards for the observance of human rights.

At the same time, holding the court hearing did not in any way affect the speed of the proceedings. The Kyiv Court of Appeals ensured an exceptionally swift yet thorough review of the matter, demonstrating that high standards of human rights protection, a comprehensive judicial review, and the effectiveness of justice can be successfully combined even under time constraints.

The Vinnytsia City Court, within the framework of another criminal proceeding, also promptly considered the relevant issue and issued the necessary procedural decision.

Thus, despite the different stages of the judicial proceedings and differences in procedural practices, both courts ensured the timely resolution of issues necessary for the subsequent extradition proceedings, the OGP emphasized.

It is of fundamental importance that the prosecutors and both courts carried out their work virtually simultaneously, each within the scope of their own authority. This is precisely what made it possible to establish all the necessary procedural prerequisites for requesting Sweden to extradite Svyatash in connection with all criminal proceedings, without leaving any of them unaddressed, the Office of the Prosecutor General noted.

“We are talking about an individual who is charged with serious criminal offenses. Therefore, it was important for the Ukrainian side to ensure the possibility of his extradition in all criminal proceedings in which he is being prosecuted,” the Office of the Prosecutor General noted, emphasizing that “as of today, the prosecutor’s office and the courts have completed all actions within their authority to ensure Svyatash’s extradition. The necessary court decisions have been issued, the case materials have been prepared, and the procedural prerequisites for considering his extradition in all criminal proceedings have been met. The next stages of the procedure fall within the jurisdiction of the authorized international cooperation bodies, in particular the Swedish side.”

“The Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, has completed all procedural steps within its authority and remains ready to continue facilitating international cooperation within the scope of its jurisdiction. We count on constructive cooperation from all parties involved, respect the authority of each of them, and are convinced that proper coordination will facilitate the effective consideration of the issue of Svyatash’s extradition to Ukraine,” the Office of the Prosecutor General added.

The Office of the Prosecutor General made this statement on Facebook.

As a reminder, former MP Svyatas, who was sentenced in Ukraine to 12 years in prison, was detained in Sweden.

The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment with the court against Dmytro Svyatas, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament (IV–VIII convocations) from the Party of Regions. He will stand trial for calls to change Ukraine’s territorial boundaries, money laundering, and financial fraud.