Vladimir Antonov, the former shareholder of the collapsed Snoras bank, is set to be extradited to Lithuania after France’s highest court rejected his appeal against the decision to hand him over to Lithuanian authorities.
France’s Court of Cassation on Wednesday refused to hear Antonov’s appeal challenging an earlier extradition ruling issued by the Rennes Court of Appeal.
“The cassation appeal was not admitted for consideration. Therefore, the April 3 decision of the Pre-trial Chamber of the Rennes Court of Appeal has become final,” court spokesperson Pierre Albert-Roulhac said.
He declined to comment on the reasons for rejecting the appeal, saying the full text of the ruling would not be available for several days.
Antonov, a Russian national and former owner of British football club Portsmouth, was detained in western France last December under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuanian prosecutors.
Earlier this year, the French court requested additional information from Lithuania regarding the conditions under which Antonov would be detained, seeking assurances he would not face inhumane treatment because of his Russian citizenship.
Antonov and former Snoras shareholder Raimondas Baranauskas have been convicted in Lithuania of eight intentional crimes linked to the collapse of the bank. Lithuanian courts identified Antonov as the main organiser of the offenses.
The two men were ordered to pay 375.18 million euros in damages and face confiscation of assets worth 105 million euros. European Arrest Warrants remain in force for both men.
The Lithuanian Court of Appeal is scheduled to begin hearing the case on June 29, and officials hope Antonov will be extradited in time to attend the proceedings.
Investigators estimate the pair misappropriated assets worth 509.18 million euros. Total damage to Snoras and its creditors is estimated at 466.67 million euros, with an additional 14.5 million euros allegedly squandered.
Lithuania nationalised Snoras and suspended its operations in late 2011. The bank’s liquidation process is expected to continue through the end of this year.
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