Russia demanded the extradition of the ex-head of the Bashneft Rakhimov

Russia sent to Austria a request for the issuance of the former head of the Bashneft oil company Ural Rakhimov, the son of the ex-president of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov. This was reported by Interfax with reference to a source familiar with the situation.

"Based on the materials of the investigation in the case of the theft of shares of the Bashneft, the competent authorities of Austria sent a request for the arrest and issuance of Rakhimov," the agency’s interlocutor said.

The criminal case on the illegal sale of shares of the Bashneft oil company was opened in April 2014. In August, Rakhimov was charged in absentia of the theft of money when selling Bashneft in 2009 AFK system structures. The investigation believes that the shares were bought at a deliberately low price - with a discount of $ 500 million. In this case, a large entrepreneur Levon Ayrapetyan was previously arrested, whom the investigation suspects of involvement in the transaction.

On September 15, 2014, in the framework of the Bashneft case , the head of the AFC System Vladimir Yevtushenkov was also charged with legalizing funds . He was placed under house arrest. In December, Yevtushenkov was released for the obligation of the appearance to investigators.

On December 18, the Investigative Committee announced Rakhimov on an international wanted list . The Basmanny Court of Moscow issued a sanction for his absentee arrest. Rakhimov, who, according to him, went to be treated to Austria, previously sent written explanations to Moscow about the circumstances of the privatization of Bashneft and other enterprises, as well as their subsequent sale of AFK Sistema. In a letter, he said that he did not admit his guilt and believes that the criminal case of theft and legalization of funds against him was unreasonably instituted.