Austria refuses to extradite ex-NBU head Shevchenko to Ukraine
9 February 2024 15:14
An Austrian court has rejected a request from the Ukrainian authorities to extradite former National Bank of Ukraine Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko. According to Der Standard, the decision was made taking into account the circumstances of the state of war, reports 
Shevchenko fled Ukraine in September 2022, a month before his official resignation. Shortly afterwards, he applied for asylum in Austria, where he remains. Although Ukraine filed an extradition request, the Austrian courts rejected it: the authorities and courts argued that Shevchenko’s transfer to Ukraine was currently impossible simply because of martial law.
The crimes that Shevchenko is charged with in Ukraine are also punishable in Austria. As Der Standard has learned, the Austrian Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) is currently investigating the abuse of the Ukrainian and other suspects. At the same time, his asylum application remains pending with the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA).
In his commentary, Shevchenko claims that the case against him is the result of “classic political persecution”. He believes that the pressure from the President’s Office is aimed at his refusal to cut the key policy rate and issue hryvnia.
Key facts
In early October 2022, Shevchenko resigned as governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, citing his health condition, but unofficially the reason was a conflict with the President’s Office. This has raised concerns in the market and among Ukraine’s international partners, as there is a threat of diminishing the independence of the NBU, a key player with access to the “printing press”.
The NABU and the SAPO served Shevchenko with a notice of suspicion in the case of the illegal withdrawal of UAH 206 million from Ukrgasbank in 2014-2019.
The investigation stated that it had exposed an organised group led by the former chairman of Ukrgasbank’s board that illegally withdrew UAH 206 million from the financial institution in 2014-2019.
Kyrylo Shevchenko became the head of the NBU in August 2020, having previously served as First Deputy and Acting Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank since October 2014, and was Chairman of the Board of the bank from 28 May 2015 to 15 July 2020.
on 24 October 2022, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau put Shevchenko on the wanted list. In November 2022, Shevchenko was put on the international wanted list in the case of embezzlement of UAH 200 million from Ukrgasbank.
