A Polish court has just ruled in first instance that the alleged owner of KickassTorrents can be extradited to the US. The ruling regarding a Ukrainian citizen Artyom Vaulin is the first of two in an extradition process, where the United States claim that Vaulin and his co-conspirators have been unlawfully distributing copyrighted content worth $1 billion.
A few months ago, Polish law enforcement officers arrested Artyom Vaulin, the alleged operator of KickassTorrents, and he has been held in custody since. Like in the MegaUpload case, Polish authorities acted on a criminal complaint from the US Government. The United States accused Vaulin of criminal copyright infringement and money laundering.
After a few months in custody, Vaulin experienced severe back problems and was transferred to a hospital, while his legal tem was fighting the extradition request in court in both countries. However, their efforts have just resulted in a setback.
After a series of hearings, the Polish District Court ruled in first instance that Vaulin can be extradited. In Poland, the legality of extraditions is decided in two stages, so now the agreement of the second instance is required. If it rules the same, the Minister of Justice will issue the final decision.
However, if the lower court grants the extradition request in full, the alleged KickassTorrents operator can take the case to the Supreme Court for a review, but now Artyom Vaulin remains in a Polish hospital where he’s still being treated.
In case the extradition is granted, the alleged operator of the tracker will have to face a criminal trial in the US, which accuses him and his co-conspirators of running the largest piracy haven ever, making millions of dollars annually. As such, the US Government holds them accused of illegal distribution of more than $1 billion of copyrighted materials.
The Ukrainian explains that aside from the Polish extradition process, another crucial ruling is forthcoming in the United States as well: a few weeks ago, Vaulin’s legal counsel asked the Illinois District Court to dismiss the criminal indictment and set Vaulin free, claiming that there’s no proof of actual criminal copyright infringement.
