France joins US, Russia, asks Greece for cybercrime suspect

THESSALONIKI, Greece – France has joined the U.S. and Russia in seeking the extradition from Greece of a Russian cybercrime suspect arrested in northern Greece last summer.

Greek authorities say France wants to put Alexander Vinnik on trial for alleged cybercrime, money-laundering, membership of a criminal organization and extortion.

The 38-year-old former bitcoin platform operator, currently in a northern Greek prison, denies wrongdoing. Vinnik appeared before a Thessaloniki prosecutor Wednesday following the French request.

Greece’s Supreme Court has already ruled in favour of extraditing him to the United States to stand trial for allegedly laundering billions of dollars using the virtual currency bitcoin.

But another court ruled for his extradition to Russia on less serious charges — which Vinnik is not contesting.

Greece’s justice minister has the final word on the extradition.