Russian held over US poll hacking
MADRID: A Russian computer expert was remanded in custody in Spain on Monday on suspicion of involvement in alleged hacking of the US presidential election campaign, a legal source said.
Piotr Levashov, who was arrested at Barcelona airport on Friday, has been singled out by the United States for extradition in a request which is due to be examined by Spain’s national criminal court, the source said.
Levashov is “suspected of having participated in hacking the election campaign in the United States,” the source said.
From the date of arrest, Washington has 40 days to present its legal case for extradition to the Spanish authorities.
Police on Sunday said Levashov had been arrested on Friday “following an international complaint” and had been transferred to Madrid.
US intelligence agencies in January publicly accused Russia of hacking the 2016 presidential campaign in a bid to sway the outcome in favour of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Trump, who won the November vote, has vehemently denied accusations of collusion, and Moscow has also laughed off the allegations.
MAN SENT ANTI-GOVT MANIFESTO TO TRUMP
The hunt continued on Monday for a man suspected of stealing firearms from a Wisconsin gun store who sent an anti-government manifesto to President Donald Trump and has threatened to carry out an unspecified attack, sheriff’s officials said.
Joseph Jakubowski, 32, has been missing since Tuesday, when authorities believe he stole a large quantity of handguns and rifles from the store in Janesville, 110 km southwest of Milwaukee. He also acquired a bulletproof vest and helmet, and a burned vehicle registered to him was found nearby.
Concerns ramped up late last week when a friend of Jakubowski gave a copy of the 161-page manifesto to police and said the suspect had also sent it to the White House.