LinkedIn, Dropbox hack suspect named as Yevgeniy Nikulin by US prosecutors

The US Department of Justice has unsealed its indictment against a Russian bloke accused of hacking high-profile websites. Last week, we reported that "Yevgeniy N" was cuffed on October 5 while in a restaurant with his girlfriend in Prague, Czech Republic. He's now been named by US prosecutors as 29-year-old Yevgeniy Nikulin …

[John Savard]

Location

He is in the custody of the government of the Czech Republic, so it isn't clear how Russia could conceivably interfere with his extradition to the United States, unless it plans to make threats of military force against a sovereign state which also happens to be a member of NATO.

[a_yank_lurker]

Re: Location

It depends on the various extradition treaties and how much effort the Russian government puts in to defend him. If the Russians can force the ferals to show their hand they might show how pathetic a hand the ferals really have to the world.

There is has been a lot of jawboning over here about how every major hack has a Russian or the Russian government behind it. Often the allegations are made off the record with no evidence offered. So I imagine the Russians are looking for a case to embarrass the ferals.

[Mark 85]

Re: Location

Not just the Russians, but the Chinese and the Norks. Seems these are three on the list of approved bad guys and the mass media does eat it up and spew it out.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Location

> so it isn't clear how Russia could conceivably interfere with his extradition to the United States

Russia doesn't "conceivably interfere". Russia does what every other country is supposed to do: look after their citizens and provide diplomatic assistance when required.

This can take various forms, going from providing legal assistance to working at diplomatic levels.

[Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese]

Re: Location

Thinking about the comments which have been getting posted on the recent story about Lauri Love, should we consider extradition to the USA to be a valid option at all. If the crime was committed by someone physically within Russia, then shouldn't they be tried there under Russian law?

[harmjschoonhoven]

Hm,

let's do the calculation: a maximum jail term of 10 years for stealing 117 to 185+ million passwords is 170 to 270 milliseconds per theft. Admittedly time spend in American jails count double.

[Gray]

Hunting Russian Citizens

Russia accuses America of hunting Russian citizens around the world... ?

Perhaps. But at least we haven't put a bounty on 'em yet!

[Mark 85]

Re: Hunting Russian Citizens

Maybe a bounty is the way to go? And make it also payable to Russian LEO's. Might get some the miscreants shutdown.

[TReko]

One Way Traffic

While I wouldn't mind seeing the perpetrator of the hack doing time, the extradition traffic of crimes not committed in the USA seems to go one way to the USA.

This also sets worrying precedents, could those in Western countries be extradited to Iran for Sharia Law offences?

[MiguelC]

Re: One Way Traffic

Most (all?) western countries only agree on extradition for actions that also are considered criminal in their own national laws, so your example is not really valid.

[iRadiate]

Re: One Way Traffic

Why would that be a worrying precedent?. The law is the law in the country that's made them whether you agree with them or not. So if for example I defaced a religious website hosted in 'whereveristan' with pictures of pigs or images of the prophet doing the naughty with an animal then yes I would expect to be extradited and tried under Sharia law. Just because there's another word in front of the word 'law' doesnt make it any less valid. Having said that I would hope my own government would prevent the extradition on the grounds that the expected punishment for a guilty verdict doesn't fit the crime.

Just like they're doing for that Laurie Love chap. Oh wait... Damn.

[Mike Moyle]

Were I the suspicious and cynical sort of individual (which, of course, I'm not!) I might watch for the FSB arresting an American visitor, having suddenly "discovered" evidence that s/he had committed a crime while in Russia.

[Anonymous Coward]

To be fair, that wouldn't be exactly hard, normally they just deport them.