Russia Asks Bulgaria to Extradite Putin Opponent

Russia has asked Bulgaria to extradite a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was arrested at Sofia airport, the Bulgarian prosecution announced on Thursday.

Nikolay Koblyakov, founder of the French non-governmental organisation Russie-Liberte which had staged a series of anti-Putin actions in France, was detained on an Interpol warrant at Sofia airport on Tuesday and held for 72 hours, the interior ministry said.

No details were available on what the Russians have charged him with.

France-based Reporters Without Borders issued a statement on Wednesday urging Bulgarian authorities not to proceed with the extradition as Koblyakov risks prison if sent back to Russia.

"We have received a request by the Moscow regional court for this extradition," a Sofia prosecution spokeswoman however told Agence France Presse on Thursday.

"Under the standard procedure we were obliged to transfer that request to the Sofia City Court which has to decide whether it will allow the extradition or not," she added.

The Sofia City Court was not immediately available to comment on the case or say when it will hear the extradition request.

A French diplomatic source in Paris told AFP that the French consulate in Sofia was working on the case of Koblyakov, who has dual Russian-French nationality, and had helped his wife to meet him on Wednesday.

According to the same source, he appeared to be in good form and said he was treated well.

Koblyakov's case comes amid renewed tensions between the European Union and Russia over Ukraine that saw Brussels slap a new series of sanctions on two of Putin's close associates on Wednesday.