Vladimir Gavrilov, a Russian accused of gun-running to Colombia’s FARC rebels in the 1990’s has been released from custody in Greece, where he had been detained for a month on an extradition request from Peru, his lawyer Georgy Gurovanidis told RIA Novosti.
Gavrilov returned to Moscow on Saturday morning after his release.
Vladimir Gavrilov had spent a month in detention in Salonika, Greece, after being detained at the end of August on an international arrest warrant. He had gone to Greece on holiday from Perm in Russia.
The Peruvian authorities allege that in the late 1990’s, Gavrilov was involved in the delivery of a huge consignment of automatic weapons to the FARC via Peruvian intermediaries. A Peruvian, Vladimiro Montesinos, who for more than ten years headed Peru’s special services and was an adviser to then President Alberto Fujimori, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2006 for participation in the arms shipment.
Gavrilov categorically denies involvement in the plot.
“I would be ready to go to court, if there is one. I reiterate my absolute non-involvement in this matter,” Gavrilov told RIA Novosti last night by telephone from Salonika.