European Court of Human Rights tells Serbia to decide on extradition to US

The group of 10 alleged hackers have been indicted by US authorities for digital fraud in a case worth millions of Dollars, charges which they have denied. Under an extradition treaty approved in February 2019 by the Serbian parliament, the programmers/hackers can be extradited to the US. Serbia is also under obligation to implement rulings by the European Court of Human Rights which has deferred a ruling on the case until official Belgrade takes a clear stand.

The group’s lawyer Milan Petrovic told RFE that the Court wants Serbia to submit a report on the possible extradition of the hackers from the southern city of Nis. He said that the court will then rule whether the extradition can go ahead or whether they should be tried in Serbia.

The group were arrested in July 2020 on suspicion of having committed digital fraud in 2011. The Organized Crime Prosecution said that they were charged with setting up, promoting and organizing at least 16 false online investment platforms, earning them 70 million Dollars. The entire group is based in Nis. The US Justice Department said they allegedly set up more than 20 fake investment platforms, including Options Rider, Bancde Options, Start Options, Dragon Mining, BTC Mining Factor and Trinity Mining. They targeted potential investors all over the world including in north Texas. The programmers told prosecutors that they did not commit digital fraud and were engaged in customary crypto currency trading.

The lawyer said that the European Court of Human Rights is their last resort.