Archaeologist Butyagin returns to St. Petersburg

MOSCOW, May 1. /TASS/. Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin has returned to his hometown of St. Petersburg, according to the Telegram channel Advocate for Alexander Butyagin, launched by the scientist’s relatives, friends, and colleagues to share updates about him and raise funds for his defense. "Alexander Butyagin is at home in St. Petersburg," the channel said. Earlier, Butyagin told Izvestia that the first thing he plans to do after arriving in St. Petersburg is visit the Hermitage Museum. On December 4, Polish security services detained Butyagin while he was traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans for a lecture tour. A Warsaw court ordered his arrest, extending his detention until June 1. The Polish prosecutor’s office received an extradition request from Ukraine, claiming he could face up to ten years in prison. The Warsaw court ruled for his extradition, which his defense plans to appeal. Butyagin was released as part of an exchange that took place at the Belarusian-Polish border. The archaeologist’s return is the result of a multi-stage operation conducted in collaboration with the Belarusian security services. According to the BelTA news agency, the exchange proceeded on a "five-for-five" principle, involving citizens of Russia, Belarus, and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries.