France rejects Ukraine’s extradition request for billionaire charged with bribery, citing risk of unfair trial

https://kyivindependent.com/french-court-rejects-extradition-request/

Oleg Sukhov Oct 29, 2025 · 1 min read
France rejects Ukraine’s extradition request for billionaire charged with bribery, citing risk of unfair trial
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The Paris Court of Appeal on Oct. 29 rejected a request to extradite Ukrainian billionaire Kostiantyn Zhevago to his home country, the news agency Interfax Ukraine reported.

The court ruled that Zhevago would not face a fair trial in Ukraine, and his rights would not be protected.

The request was filed by the Ukrainian authorities in a bribery case against Zhevago, who has denied the accusations of wrongdoing.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) charged him in 2023 with bribing Vsevolod Kniazev, former head of the Supreme Court.

Zhevago transferred $2.7 million to his lawyer, of which $1.8 million was intended to be the bribe for the Supreme Court, and the rest was for the legal advisor's "mediation services," according to the NABU.

In 2023 a French court also rejected Ukraine's extradition request for Zhevago in a separate embezzlement case.

In 2019, Zhevago was charged with embezzling and laundering $113 million at Finance & Credit Bank.

Zhevago is the owner of the iron pellet producer Ferrexpo.