In 45 minutes it will be noon in Prague.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Fri Nov 24, 2017, 06:18 AM - Edit history (6)

Sometime on Friday, the Supreme Court there is to announce its decision on which country will be able to extradite a certain hacker: Russia, or the US.

The US has indicted him for large scale hacking of Linked In, Dropbox, and Formspring. Russia indicted him for some petty crime, and filed its extradition request soon after the US filed its own. The hacker, Yevgeniy Nikulin, complained after his arrest that when the FBI interviewed him they were trying to connect him to the DNC hacking -- and he insists he didn't do it and barely knows anything about computers.

If the Czech Republic allows him to be extradited to the US, this could be a BIG DEAL and an important source of info for the Mueller investigation. Or maybe they'll send him to Russia to shut him up.

I don't know what time the decision is supposed to be announced, but it is supposed to happen sometime Friday. Fingers crossed! Unfortunately, there is one more step: the Justice Minister is supposed to confirm the Court's decision.

ON UPDATE: Tatiana, in post #3, posts helpful background on this. Thanks, Tatiana!

AND HERE IS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE FROM LAST MAY:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/30/suspected-russian-hacker-step-closer-to-us-extradition-yevgeniy-nikulin

The affidavit relates solely to the hacking of LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring in 2012, and does not mention any election hacking.

However, Nikulin wrote in a letter from prison that Miller had interrogated him in Prague on 7 February and raised the election hacking. Excerpts of the letter were provided to the Guardian by Nikulin’s lawyers, but there is no way of substantiating the claims he made.

Nikulin claimed Miller demanded he admit to hacking the DNC servers as part of what the FBI is said to have claimed was a nefarious plot ultimately ordered by Trump, and promised him good treatment in the US if he cooperated. Nikulin wrote that he rejected the offer.

[Takket]

1. If Russia doesn't want him here, then we definitely do!!!

[pnwmom]

2. Exactly! If they hadn't stepped in to immediately try to grab him, he wouldn't look

nearly as interesting, would he?

[Tatiana]

3. Thanks for spotlighting this very important story. I hope we grab him.

If not, he will be "disappeared." He clearly knows something and was so desperate that he apparently appealed directly to Trump for assistance.

Pretty sure he may be able to provide the identities of the DNC hackers.

Original DOJ release

Summary of events from the Guardian

[pnwmom]

4. Thank YOU for finding these links. I've updated my OP to point to your post.

[Hekate]

5. KnR

[Sophia4]

6. Just watched ICARUS.

Of course, Russia . . . .

Not a really honest bunch.

[underpants]

7. Nikulin. Thanks I'll be watching for this.

I hadn't heard of it

[pnwmom]

8. Here is an interesting article from last May:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/30/suspected-russian-hacker-step-closer-to-us-extradition-yevgeniy-nikulin

The affidavit relates solely to the hacking of LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring in 2012, and does not mention any election hacking.

However, Nikulin wrote in a letter from prison that Miller had interrogated him in Prague on 7 February and raised the election hacking. Excerpts of the letter were provided to the Guardian by Nikulin’s lawyers, but there is no way of substantiating the claims he made.

Nikulin claimed Miller demanded he admit to hacking the DNC servers as part of what the FBI is said to have claimed was a nefarious plot ultimately ordered by Trump, and promised him good treatment in the US if he cooperated. Nikulin wrote that he rejected the offer.

[sl8]

9. The Latest: Extradition case lawyer vows to appeal further

From https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-latest-prague-appeals-court-allows-extradition-to-us/2017/11/24/5f930dfa-d113-11e7-a87b-47f14b73162a_story.html?utm_term=.d1b9023d07b4

The Latest: Extradition case lawyer vows to appeal further
By Associated Press November 24 at 8:38 AM

PRAGUE — The Latest on the extradition hearing for an alleged Russian hacker (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

The defense attorney for a Russian man whose extradition to the United States has been supported by a Prague appeals court says he has not given up and will take steps to possibly reverse the ruling.

Prague’s High Court on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that allowed the extradition of Yevgeniy Nikulin.

He is accused by U.S. prosecutors of breaking into computers at Silicon Valley firms including LinkedIn and Dropbox in 2012.

...

More at link.