ATHENS -Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz has been freed from custody in Greece but banned from travelling outside the country as he awaits a court ruling on a Romanian-issued arrest warrant, police and legal sources said Monday.
Steinmetz was detained by Greek police on Sunday evening, hours after arriving on a private aircraft at Athens International Airport, police sources said.
A European arrest warrant has been issued against him on behalf of Romania on accusations related to participation in a criminal organisation, a police official said on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, the 68-year-old appeared before a prosecutor who decided that he should be freed on bail, with restrictions including a travel ban, as he awaits a judicial panel's decision on his arrest and extradition.
In 2022, a Greek court which examined his case based on another Romanian-issued arrest warrant against him, had ruled against his extradition. Romania later issued a new request.
"It is unprecedented for the rule of law in Greece, or any other respected country, for such an administrative act to overturn a decision of the Greek judiciary, which had definitively and irrevocably ruled against his extradition to Romania, recognizing his right to travel freely,” Steinmetz's lawyer Stavros Togias said in a statement.
Steinmetz' defence lawyers have dismissed Romanian authorities' accusations as "unfounded" and have called the extradition requests by Romania "abusive".
{{/usCountry}}Steinmetz' defence lawyers have dismissed Romanian authorities' accusations as "unfounded" and have called the extradition requests by Romania "abusive".
{{/usCountry}}In November 2023, Cyprus' Court of Appeal ruled against Steinmetz' extradition to Romania, overturning a lower court ruling. A court in Italy has also rejected a similar extradition requests by Romania against Steinmetz.
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