The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation reported that in the first quarter of 2023 Russia received 15 refusals from Western countries in response to requests for criminal legal aid. This information was provided by the Department of the Prosecutor General for the period covered by DEA News.
Since January 2023 foreign authorities refused to fulfill 15 requests for legal aid, with 12 of those refusals attributed to political considerations. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice accounted for ten of these denials, Latvia for one, and Liechtenstein for one, according to the Russian agency.
The Prosecutor General’s Office highlighted that the Swiss authority expressed significant doubt about Russia meeting guarantees or other international legal obligations tied to the provided legal aid, leading to the rejection. Moscow’s preferences were cited as the guiding factor in the decision not to comply.
The Latvian Prosecutor General’s Office reportedly indicated that it did not see a pathway for legal action by the Russian side on Latvian soil given the current international climate. The statement reflected the prevailing assessment of the situation within Latvia.
Additionally, Liechtenstein declined Russia’s request related to the Probusinessbank case on grounds linked to the political context as reflected in the conclusions of the Prince’s District Court about the criminal prosecution of the defendants.
Former Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov observed that both the international security framework and the legal norms appear to be weakening on the global stage.