Russian hacker to be extradited to U.S. from Israel, high court rules

Alexei Burkov, seated second from right, attends a hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem on Dec. 13, 2015. - Copyright Andrei Shirokov

By Paul Goldman with NBC News World News

Published on 10/11/2019 - 19:49

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Alexei Burkove was arrested in 2015 while visiting Israel and is wanted in the United States for suspicion of cyber crimes.

The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a Russian hacker's petition and approved his extradition to the United States.

Alexei Burkove was arrested in 2015 while visiting Israel and is wanted in the U.S. on suspicion of cyber crimes.

The Russian hacker's fate is linked to an Israeli woman who was arrested in Russia in April. Nama Issachar, who was arrested after police found nine grams of cannabis in her luggage while traveling in the Moscow airport.

Issachar was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in what isseen in Israel as a way for the Russians to pressure the government not to extradite Burkov to the U.S.

The Israeli Supreme Court also rejected Burkov's request to be transferred to Russia and serve any sentencing there, saying, "This is because it is not based on any cause of law which requires the State of Israel to do so."

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