Khadizhat Gataeva, also known as the Angel of Grozny, and her husband Malik Gataev are to be allowed to remain in Finland. Helsinki District Court decided today that the couple would not be extradited to Lithuania.

Gataevs have applied for asylum in Finland. The Finnish police had arrested the Chechen activist and her husband earlier this month on the basis of of European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuania.

YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, reported that the court found that the two cannot be sent to Lithuania because their asylum applications are still being processed. According to court, there a risk of violation of the basic and human rights, if they send back to Lithuania.

Both of them are in custody to wait a final decision on the case. But Khadizhat Gataeva is in Hämeenlinna, a city in the south of Finland, where she is also receiving a treatment. Malik Gataev is in Vantaa, neighbour city of Helsinki.

A Finnish prosecutor is to appeal the district court’s ruling before the Supreme Court. The Gatayevs are to remain in custody until the top court’s ruling has been read.

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