Hermitage Petitions Poland’s Justice Minister in Butyagin Extradition Case
The museum is seeking to influence the review by submitting documentation on the archaeologist’s Crimea work.
Overview
- Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky sent a formal appeal to Poland’s justice minister, who is also prosecutor general, including materials from Crimea museums on Alexander Butyagin’s fieldwork.
- Warsaw prosecutors confirmed receipt of Ukraine’s extradition dossier on December 23 and are examining it before deciding whether to forward the case to court.
- A Warsaw court ordered Butyagin held under a temporary arrest for 40 days, reported as through January 13, 2026, and his defense has filed an appeal.
- Butyagin’s family launched a public fundraiser to retain a private Polish lawyer experienced in extradition, with donations earmarked for legal fees and procedural costs.
- A scholarly group known as the Byzantine Club called transfer to Kyiv a breach of international law, and prosecutors in Warsaw said the charges in Ukraine carry a potential sentence of up to ten years.