Foreign Affairs
Alleged Russian Hacker Coming To US After Losing Extradition Fight
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The Czech Republic is set to extradite an alleged Russian hacker to the U.S. Tuesday after losing a drawn-out extradition battle regarding his part in breaching the databases of Dropbox and LinkedIn.
Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Nikulin will appear in a U.S. Federal court in California Thursday and faces decades in prison, according to USA Today. Nikulin was indicted and apprehended by Czech authorities in October 2016, but both Russia and the United States levied charges and requested extradition. Many believed the Russian charges were simply an attempt to prevent the U.S. from gaining custody of Nikulin, though it’s unclear whether he was involved in the Russian attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election.
“Computer hacking is not just a crime, it is a direct threat to the security and privacy of Americans,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “In this case, the defendant, a Russian national, is accused of breaking into the computer system of several important American companies using stolen identities, and potentially gaining access to the personal information of millions of Americans. This is deeply troubling behavior once again emanating from Russia. We will not tolerate criminal cyber-attacks and will make it a priority to investigate and prosecute these crimes, regardless of the country where they originate.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan called on Czech officials to release Nikulin to U.S. custody in March. U.S. authorities will now interview Nikulin to ascertain whether he participated in or had knowledge of Russia’s efforts in 2016, potentially raising the severity of his charges.
Nikulin is currently charged with stealing data from the professional social network LinkedIn as well as the file-sharing website Dropbox. He’s also accused of breaching Formspring, the same social media platform used by former Democratic New York Congressman Anthony Weiner to send illicit communications to young women.
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