Belgium hands over Russian to Moscow accused of financing IS militants

A Russian national accused of financing militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia) in Syria has been extradited from Belgium, a source in the Center for Public Relations (CPR) of the Russian Federal Security Service told TASS.

"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in association with the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office, the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) at the Russian Interior Ministry and the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service have extradited a Russian citizen Ali Abdul-Mutalipovich Gekhayev, born in 1988, who is on the international wanted list, from Belgium. Being a supporter of radical Islam, Gekhayev has lived full-time on the territory of the European Union countries since 2015, from which he provided financial support to the militants of the international terrorist organization ‘Islamic State’ banned in the Russian Federation in Syria," the CPR said.

In May 2017, based on the finding of the Russian side the accused was detained in Brussels and placed under pre-extradition arrest, the Center for Public Relations said. "As a result of coordinated efforts of Russian law enforcement bodies the supplied evidence of criminal activity of the wanted person allowed the Belgian authorities to comply with the extradition request," the CPR added.

On September 14, Gekhayev was extradited to Russia. Further investigative activities and search measures are being carried out.