BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

02/01/2007

Suspected Belarussian spy appeals extradition to Poland

VILNIUS. Jan 2 (Interfax/BNS) - Sergei Monich, a Belarussian citizen suspected of spying, and two of his defense lawyers have appealed the ruling to extradite Monich to Poland with Lithuania's Court of Appeals, whose decision will be final.

The appeal requests that the ruling, passed by a district court in Vilnius, be overturned, lawyer Albertas Banzius told BNS news agency.

Lithuania and Belarus are signatories to an agreement on legal assistance, "which says that Belarussian citizens have the same rights in Lithuania as Lithuanian citizens in Belarus," the lawyer said.

Since Lithuania, in accordance with the constitution, does not extradite its citizens, "a discrepancy arises between international and specific agreements," he said.

The district court ruled on December 22 that Poland's request for the extradition of Monich, 40, must be granted in line with the European Convention on Extradition.

Monich's detention was extended until January 26.

Poland said in a warrant for Monich's extradition that sufficient evidence had been gathered to suspect him of spying against Poland.

Monich claimed in the court that he had never engaged in espionage and that it was a setup organized by his acquaintance from Poland.

Poland suspects Monich of instigating espionage activities, including the gathering and transfer of information about Poland to a foreign intelligence service. Lithuania's State Security Department is also investigating to find out whether Monich was spying against Lithuania, as well.

Monich was arrested in Vilnius by the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office and State Security Department on November 25 at Poland's request.

A Polish prosecutor, Janusz Kacmarek, earlier claimed at a press briefing in Vilnius that Monich had been recruiting Polish citizens in Lithuania and gathering information from them for a reward.

Source:

http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?menu=1&id_issue=11656452

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