Yair Klein - Arrest and Extradition

Arrest and Extradition

Klein was captured by Russian Police in Moscow, Russia on 28 August 2007. The government of Colombia and its president, Álvaro Uribe, asked for his extradition to Colombia. If extradited, Klein faces a 10 year and 8 months sentence in a Colombian prison, with a bail of 22 Colombian minimum salaries. Klein was formally accused by a Superior Tribunal in Manizales for participating in the training and doctrine of illegal paramilitary groups. Despite the authorization given by a Russian tribunal to extradite Klein to Colombia, the European Court of Human Rights decided to suspend the surrendering of the suspect. According to Dmitri Yampolski, the legal representative of Klein, an eventual extradition of his client would have as a consequence that his rights and liberties would be violated. Yair Klein stated during trial in Russia that an extradition to Colombia is a "death sentence". The ambassador of Colombia in Moscow, Diego José Tobón, said that "these are just delaying measures and as any judicial decision it has risks, however in Colombia, detained persons are given all the guarantees and as a prove of that, Colombia has not received a single complaint of detained paramilitaries or other delinquents."

In November, 2010 Russian authorities decided to follow a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights and refuse extradition. Klein then returned to Israel, calling the international arrest warrant "complete nonsense" and announcing his intention to begin writing books. Colombian Justice Minister Germán Vargas Lleras stated that the Colombian government was "examining alternatives in order to enforce the verdict. The international community, including Russia and Israel, need to ask themselves how such things are allowed to happen."