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A Greek court has turned down a U.S. request to extradite a 21-year-old American man accused of being part of a disturbing online group that allegedly targeted children for abuse and violent acts.
The court in the northern city of Thessaloniki ruled that the man cannot be handed over because he’s eligible for Greek citizenship through his parentage. He’s expected to be released from custody in the coming days.
“The court recognized him as a Greek national, which bars extradition,” his lawyer, Xanthippi Moisidou, told The Associated Press. Greek law prohibits extraditing its own citizens.
The suspect, who says he’s innocent, was arrested in April. U.S. authorities claim he was involved with a criminal online group known as “764” that forced children to commit acts of violence and sexual abuse, which were then recorded and shared online.
Another suspect linked to the same investigation was arrested in North Carolina just days earlier.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously described the group as “a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children.”
*With information from AP news
