Cyprus is at the centre of renewed international attention over the case of Alexei Kratzgor, an Israeli citizen of Russian origin who was arrested on the island around two months ago on the basis of a Russian-issued international arrest warrant. Moscow accuses him of involvement in the planning and execution of the 2009 hijacking of the cargo vessel Arctic Sea in the Baltic Sea, a case that at the time drew worldwide scrutiny.
Kratzgor had previously been charged in 2009, released on bail and later fled, becoming wanted by Interpol. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has long sought his extradition.
The 2009 hijacking
The Arctic Sea, sailing under the Maltese flag, left a Finnish port on 23 July 2009 carrying timber. Within 24 hours it was attacked in the Baltic Sea by an armed group posing as police officers. The assailants boarded, assaulted the 15-member Russian crew, bound them and locked them in their cabins before taking control of the ship.
The vessel was eventually located by the Russian navy and seized in the Atlantic on 17 August. Eight men, mostly from Estonia and Latvia, were arrested and convicted of piracy and kidnapping in Russia in 2011, receiving sentences of up to 15 years. They claimed they had been hired as mercenaries to boost demand for maritime security services.
Russian investigators say Kratzgor, who ran an advertising firm in Riga, helped organise the attack, including recruiting personnel and coordinating logistics from Latvia.
Israeli reporting and defence arguments
Israeli media have reported extensively on the case, highlighting Moscow’s insistence that it had sought his extradition from Israel without success. Russian authorities also submitted documents to the Cypriot court alleging that Kratzgor once served as a security guard for former Israeli president Moshe Katsav and had served with the IDF in East Jerusalem.
His lawyer, cited in Israeli coverage, questioned Moscow’s decision to pursue extradition after 17 years, arguing that no previous request was filed with Israel and that Russian authorities had waited for an opportunity to secure his transfer from a third country. He warned that Kratzgor would not receive a fair trial in Russia, pointing to European Court of Human Rights findings that extraditions to Russia risk violating fundamental rights.
According to the lawyer, “Russia is leading Cyprus into a trap,” noting the geopolitical sensitivities and the broader implications of complying with Moscow’s request.
Source: CNA