Dmitry Chirakadze, one of the founders of the Pravo.ru portal, was detained at Rome's Fiumicino Airport and arrested on charges of organizing the escape from house arrest of Artem Uss, the son of Russian Senator Alexander Uss, whose extradition the United States is seeking. ANSA and L'Unione Sarda reported on Chirakadze's arrest.
According to the Italian prosecutor's office, Chirakadze, who lives in Switzerland, organized Uss's escape plan, maintained constant contact with his family, and met with people who helped Uss escape.
Investigators tracked Chirakadze's movements in Italy by telephone and concluded that they matched the locations where «preparatory meetings» took place before Uss's escape. Italian security officials also studied the lists of airplane passengers, which also showed that Chirakadze was present in cities in Italy and other countries where the escape plan was discussed.
An arrest warrant was also issued for the businessman's wife, Lyubov Orlova. According to ANSA, the couple managed an elite resort in Sardinia, which belongs to the Uss family.
Artem Uss was detained in Milan at the request of the United States in October 2022, when he was trying to fly to Russia. He, along with four other Russians, is suspected of purchasing sanctioned dual-use electronics and military technology, as well as organizing schemes to sell oil through shell companies.
Until the court's decision on extradition to the United States, Uss was to be under house arrest. Two days after the Milan court approved the extradition, it became known about his escape.
A total of five people were arrested in connection with the escape case, three of whom were extradited to Italy. They are citizens of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to investigators, they took Uss to Serbia, from where he flew to Russia.
After the escape, Uss's father, who at that time held the post of governor of Krasnodar Krai, resigned. He soon became a senator.