Russian asylum seeker apprehended at Palermo airport, informed of repatriation
After a vacation in Italy, a Russian refugee residing in the UK faced extradition threats upon attempting to return to Britain, but he has now secured a last-minute reprieve.
While concluding a week-long stay in Palermo, the Russian man, possessing refugee status in the UK, encountered extradition warnings targeting his return to his home country.
Refugees possess the right to employ refugee travel documents for international voyages; however, this incident underscores considerable apprehensions about the safety of such travels.
Aged 50, the man is a dedicated human rights advocate whose identity remains undisclosed for security reasons. He, along with his wife and nine-year-old son, had scheduled a flight to the UK on August 23.
Upon initially passing airport security in Palermo, he was apprehended and transported to Sicily’s Pagliarelli prison. Subsequently, he faced potential extradition to Russia on the grounds of a 2017 warrant released by a regional branch of the Russian interior ministry.
During his time in Russia, he collaborated with notable activists, including Anna Politkovskaya, the journalist who opposed Putin and tragically lost her life in 2006.
Fleeing from Russia, he held the belief that his well-being would remain compromised if he chose to remain in his home nation. He sought asylum in the UK due to an arrest warrant issued in 2017. Subsequently, after undergoing extensive security screenings within the UK, he was eventually granted refugee status.
His wife was taken aback by her husband’s apprehension, prompting her to contact officials at the British embassy for assistance. Regrettably, she was informed that aid could solely be extended to British citizens, excluding UK residents with refugee status.
Conveying her feelings to The Guardian, his wife expressed, “We could never have anticipated such an occurrence unfolding in Europe. My anxiety for him is profound. His high blood pressure caused him to turn pale upon his airport arrest
After receiving the news from an urgent court hearing in an Italian court on Monday, where officials announced their decision to halt the extradition process, the man’s wife expressed her elation to The Guardian: “It’s like life has returned to my body. My son is overjoyed. He finally smiled.”
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy took action in the matter and presented their arguments during a court session in Palermo on Monday.
In their court statement, UNHCR affirmed that the man “was granted refugee status by English authorities, a status that prevents his expulsion, repatriation, or extradition to his country of origin.”
The statement further conveyed, “UNHCR thus expects that the case will be evaluated with due consideration to international obligations and human rights.”
Subsequent to the court proceedings, the man was released from prison on Monday evening and joyously reunited with his wife and family in Palermo. The family is eager to return to the UK at the earliest opportunity.
The man’s Italian lawyer, Luca Bonanno, expressed gratitude to all involved parties for preventing the extradition threat. He stated, “The Palermo court of appeal’s decision has finally reinstated [the man’s] dignity, primarily thanks to the acknowledgment of his refugee status by Great Britain.”
Fahad Ansari of Riverway Law, the man’s lawyer in the UK, strongly criticized the policy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which declines to provide support to individuals granted refugee status in the UK if they encounter difficulties abroad.
“My client found himself in a nightmarish situation where he had no access to consular assistance while he languished in an Italian prison, facing extradition to Russia, where execution was inevitable,” Ansari emphasized, urging the government to establish legislation ensuring that those granted protection continue to receive consular support when traveling abroad.
A spokesperson for the Italian embassy in London conveyed to The Guardian before the court’s decision on Monday, “We are aware of the mentioned case, being handled by Italian authorities in collaboration with their British counterparts, following standard procedures for such scenarios.”
