Moscow Criticizes Norway's Decision To Extradite Russian Citizen To U.S.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

Russia has criticized Norway's decision to extradite a Russian citizen suspected of committing cybercrimes to the United States.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on November 30 that the November 29 decision to extradite Mark Vartanian is "politically motivated" and will affect relations between Moscow and Oslo.

The case is "part of the worldwide hunting for Russian citizens by American secret services and has nothing to do with... justice," Zakharova said.

Vartanian, who worked for a Norwegian company in the city of Fredrikstad, was arrested in 2014 on Washington's request.

He is suspected of spreading dozens of files through the Internet in an effort to install a computer virus aimed at taking control of infected computers.

Vartanian denies any wrongdoing.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax