Russian programmer arrested in Barcelona at request of U.S.
The police of Barcelona arrested a Russian programmer at the request of the American authorities. According to preliminary information, 36-year-old Peter Levashov was arrested at the request of the United States on suspicion of involvement in hacking activities, in particular related to Donald Trump’s election campaign.
The representative of the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Madrid, Andrey Konstantinov, confirmed the fact that he had been arrested. According to Levashov’s wife, Maria, the Spanish police burst into their apartment at night, took her husband to the police station, and removed all the electronic equipment.
The couple was on vacation in Barcelona with their four-year-old child. According to Maria Levashova, her husband is now in prison in Barcelona.
“Something was said about a virus that my husband allegedly created was related to Trump's victory in the election,” said Levashov's wife.
In January 2017, the Spanish police arrested another Russian programmer, Stanislav Lisov. This arrest also took place in Barcelona, and was at the request of the American authorities as well. Lisov, according to U.S. law enforcement agencies, was responsible for developing a virus and managing a network of infected computers, including devices located in France and Germany.
Earlier, the U.S. Justice Department requested that Russia extradite three Russians accused by U.S. law enforcement agencies of hacking and stealing the personal information of Internet users.