British Court Refuses To Extradite Businessman In Russian Murder Case

A British court on August 4 refused to extradite a Russian businessman who is accused of organizing the murder of a retail tycoon in Russia, saying there was little solid evidence against him.

Russian officials say Georgy Shuppe, who resides in London, arranged the January 2014 murder of Aleksandr Mineyev, who was shot 22 times with a Kalashnikov rifle on the outskirts of Moscow.

Shuppe, 46, also is accused of fraudulently taking over assets belonging to Mineyev. His lawyers say the case is politically motivated.

Shuppe was once married to the daughter of oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Berezovsky was found dead in his English mansion in 2013. An inquest failed to determine whether he was killed or committed suicide.

The London court said the claims against Shuppe were based on "the account of an anonymous witness who, in turn, reports what he was told by a third party who may or may not have been present when the conversation between two other individuals, not including the defendant, took place."

Russia has 14 days to appeal the decision.

Shuppe said he was "pleased and delighted" with the court's ruling.

Based on reporting by AP and TASS