Firtash wins extradition case to the US after posting €125 million bail
The Higher Regional Court in Vienna upheld a lower court ruling prohibiting the Ukrainian businessman's transfer to the US. The prosecution did not file an appeal within the specified time frame, so the verdict became final. This was reported by The Public with reference to Bloomberg. There will be no further consideration, and the trial, which has been ongoing since 2014 and included a record bail of €125 million, ended in victory for Firtash.
The American side accused the businessman of conspiring to bribe Indian officials in the amount of $18.5 million to implement a $500 million titanium deal. Firtash denied all charges and called the case politically motivated and aimed at influencing Ukrainian politics.
After the trial began, the businessman moved his companies to Vienna, where he still lives today. He made his career in the gas business, working with Gazprom, and later invested in chemicals and media, becoming one of the most influential Ukrainian oligarchs of the post-Soviet era.
Firtash has remained under Ukrainian sanctions since 2021 on suspicion of supplying titanium to the Russian defence sector. In 2024, the United Kingdom also imposed sanctions.
The businessman's representatives have not publicly commented on the decision.
