A judge in Poland has ruled that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin can be extradited to Ukraine, although his defence says he will appeal. Butyagin is being held in a Warsaw prison for allegedly conducting illegal excavations and plundering artefacts from the ancient city of Myrmekion in Crimea - Ukraine's peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
If Judge Dariusz Łubowski's ruling is upheld, a final decision on extradition will rest with Poland's justice minister. Butyagin, arrested in Poland at Ukraine's request in December, denies all the allegations. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail. Russia has demanded his immediate release, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European courts have, in several instances, refused to extradite Russians to Ukraine, citing the possible risk of violations to the European Convention on Human Rights. Butyagin's lawyer Adam Domański has argued that his life and wellbeing would be at risk if extradited to Ukraine.
A senior scholar at the Hermitage, Russia's largest art museum in St Petersburg, Butyagin has been overseeing the museum's excavations of Myrmekion since 1999. Initially, his research was authorized by Ukraine. However, after Russia annexed the peninsula in March 2014, the work continued without Kyiv's consent.
If found guilty of plundering artefacts, which reportedly include 30 gold coins and damage estimated at more than $4.5 million (£3.4 million), Butyagin could face serious penalties. Before his arrest in Warsaw on December 4, he had traveled through Europe giving public talks to Russian-speaking audiences, unaware of the warrant against him issued by a Kyiv court in April 2025.
Butyagin’s case raises significant questions about the legality and ethics of archaeological practices in conflict zones, particularly under the conditions stipulated by various international treaties concerning cultural property during wars.
If Judge Dariusz Łubowski's ruling is upheld, a final decision on extradition will rest with Poland's justice minister. Butyagin, arrested in Poland at Ukraine's request in December, denies all the allegations. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail. Russia has demanded his immediate release, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European courts have, in several instances, refused to extradite Russians to Ukraine, citing the possible risk of violations to the European Convention on Human Rights. Butyagin's lawyer Adam Domański has argued that his life and wellbeing would be at risk if extradited to Ukraine.
A senior scholar at the Hermitage, Russia's largest art museum in St Petersburg, Butyagin has been overseeing the museum's excavations of Myrmekion since 1999. Initially, his research was authorized by Ukraine. However, after Russia annexed the peninsula in March 2014, the work continued without Kyiv's consent.
If found guilty of plundering artefacts, which reportedly include 30 gold coins and damage estimated at more than $4.5 million (£3.4 million), Butyagin could face serious penalties. Before his arrest in Warsaw on December 4, he had traveled through Europe giving public talks to Russian-speaking audiences, unaware of the warrant against him issued by a Kyiv court in April 2025.
Butyagin’s case raises significant questions about the legality and ethics of archaeological practices in conflict zones, particularly under the conditions stipulated by various international treaties concerning cultural property during wars.
