Russian businessman wanted in US who fled Italy says he is back in Russia

A Russian businessman who fled house arrest in Italy, where he was facing extradition to the United States, has told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency he is back in Russia.

Artem Uss was arrested in Italy and was due to face charges in the United States of shipping oil from Venezuela in breach of sanctions, and of bank fraud.

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He escaped from house arrest at his home on the outskirts of Milan last month, triggering an alarm on his electronic tag hours after a court ordered him to be extradited to the United States, albeit to face only two of the four counts with which he was charged.

It declined to allow him to face charges of smuggling military technology from the United States to Russia and money laundering.
Uss said the charges against him were politically motivated, RIA reported.

“I am in Russia. During these particularly dramatic days, strong and reliable people were with me. Thanks to them,” it cited Uss, whose father is governor of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region, as saying.

Reuters was not able to immediately verify Uss’s whereabouts.

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