US extradites Russian citizen from Cyprus on high-tech export charges

The US has extradited Russian citizen Artur Petrov from Cyprus, where he faces 11 charges related to the illegal export of US-made microelectronic technology to Russia, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. The US Department of Justice announced on August 9 that Petrov, who holds both Russian and German citizenship, was brought before a US court. Each charge carries a potential sentence of 5 to 20 years in prison.

Petrov, 34, was arrested in Cyprus on August 26, 2023, at Washington's request. According to the US Department of Justice, he was allegedly part of a network involved in exporting high-tech equipment to Russia to circumvent US sanctions imposed following Russia's military actions in Ukraine.

Russian diplomats, including Consul General Aleksandr Zakharov in New York, have requested telephone contact and a meeting with Petrov. Petrov has claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated and that his prosecution is a result of his status as a Russian businessman.