GENEVA, August 29 (RIA Novosti, Yekaterina Andrianova) - Swiss authorities have agreed to extradite Russia's former nuclear power minister, Yevgeny Adamov, arrested in Switzerland in May at U.S. request, to Russia, but said the decision would depend on the U.S. position, the Swiss Justice Department said Monday.
Folco Galli, the spokesman for the department, said Swiss authorities had granted Russia's extradition request last Thursday, August 25, on the basis of a statement by Adamov.
Adamov, 65, agreed to be prosecuted by Russian authorities for the charges brought against him by the U.S. Department of Justice, Galli said.
Swiss authorities have asked the U.S. whether it was ready to withdraw its extradition request and hand the case over to Russia.
Galli mentioned two possible scenarios. If the U.S. withdraws its extradition request and hands the case over to Russia, Swiss authorities will most likely decide in favor of Adamov's extradition to Russia. If the U.S. does not withdraw its request, Swiss authorities will have to decide whose extradition is a priority, Russia's or America's.
The Swiss Justice Department has no deadline for a final decision. Adamov's lawyers are also entitled to appeal the decision in the federal court of Lausanne, Switzerland.
The U.S. filed for Adamov's extradition on June 24, 2005. U.S. authorities accuse Adamov and his business associate, U.S. citizen Mark Kaushansky, of misappropriating $9 million that the American government had allocated for Russia's nuclear safety projects.
Russia sent an extradition request to Switzerland on May 17, based on a warrant issued by the Basmanny Court of Moscow on May 14. Russian prosecutors have accused Adamov of fraud and abuse of office.
