Foreign Legion rapist extradited to Russia

France has extradited a Russian man being hunted by Interpol. He became a member of the French Foreign Legion by using someone else’s passport.

35-year-old Artur Arkhipov was placed on the wanted list in 2007 when he was accused of rape and sexual abuse. Then he was detained in France in 2008.

Arkhipov helped investigators to find him under his own steam. Police apprehended him without any difficulties as the suspect was telling all who would listen about his “acts of bravery” while serving in the legion. So police caught him and kept under pre-extradition arrest.

In prison he inflicted injuries upon himself in order to escape extradition, planned for December 11, 2009. Later, a new date was set for January 15, 2010. French police hope to do all they can to avoid a repetition of the incident.