Ukraine's prosecutor general, U.S. deputy attorney general discuss extradition

Cooperation in extradition between Ukraine and the United States is developing quite dynamically, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has said.

As part of her working trip to the United States, Venediktova met with Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. and Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce Swartz, the press service of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office reported.

This is the first visit by Ukraine's prosecutor general to the U.S. Department of Justice since 2002, the report said.

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice noted the high level and close cooperation between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office. According to the report, the United States and Ukraine are parties to the bilateral agreement on mutual legal assistance, and both countries are actively using it for investigations and prosecutions.

"Cooperation in extradition between our countries is developing quite dynamically - in the last year we have extradited to the United States as many people as in the previous four years combined. And I am convinced that we will continue to act in a coordinated and effective manner as part of criminal proceedings," Venediktova said.

The U.S. colleagues also praised the support of the Prosecutor General's Office and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in international operations in the field of combating cybercrime.

"We already have a history of joint victories to stop the activity of hacking groups and international fraudulent schemes. The issue concerns large-scale law enforcement operations that have a global impact, such as this year's international operation to expose a hacker group that distributed malicious software Emotet," Venediktova said.

She added that the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office is open to developing cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, joint projects to protect intellectual property, combat environmental crime and human trafficking. The Prosecutor General's Office is also currently working with U.S. partners and experts on a functional analysis of all levels of the Ukrainian prosecutor's office and a strategy for the development of criminal justice and law enforcement.

Photo credit: Prosecutor General's Office