Nicosia seeks legal input in Browder case

Nicosia has to make a final decision on whether authorities can legally cooperate with Russia in the Browder case, following a court ruling in early August opened the door for judicial assistance.

Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou has a pending request from Russian authorities asking the Republic of Cyprus for judicial assistance in the matter of Bill Browder, an American-born financier and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management accused by Moscow of tax fraud and being a threat to national security.

According to daily Politis, the minister will consult with Attorney General Costas Clerides before making a final determination whether to honour the request from Russia or allow the matter to go further based on Browder’s legal claims.

Browder says Russian authorities are after him because he exposed corruption, arguing that an international warrant for his arrest is politically motivated.

His lawyers in Cyprus filed a case against the Republic, asking the courts to ban local agencies from working together with Russia.

But the judge said Browder’s defence team failed to demonstrate how their client “would suffer irreparable damages” from such cooperation between the authorities of the two countries.

The judge said that Browder’s team never claimed that they have suffered irreparable damages from previous requests.