Spanish Court Orders Extradition of Former U.N. Official to the U.S. on Bribery Charges

According to a court document reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday, Spain’s High Court has ordered the extradition of Vitaly Vanshelboim, a former senior United Nations official, to the United States, where he faces charges of bribery and money laundering.

Vanshelboim, a Ukrainian national, held senior roles at the U.N. Office for Project Services (UNOPS) until he was placed on administrative leave in 2021 and dismissed from his position in 2023.

He was arrested in Spain in March under an international warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Prosecutors allege that Vanshelboim accepted at least $2 million in bribes from a British businessman in exchange for directing more than $60 million in UNOPS grants and loans to that businessman’s companies, and that he was involved in laundering the proceeds.

Before the U.N. Dispute Tribunal last year, Vanshelboim admitted to having undisclosed and unauthorized financial ties with the businessman.

However, during testimony earlier this month before Spanish authorities, he claimed he was being targeted because of a book he wrote in 2023 about U.S. interventions in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Vanshelboim’s defense attorney could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

In challenging his extradition, his defense cited U.N. immunity, lack of U.S. jurisdiction, double jeopardy, ongoing proceedings in other jurisdictions, and political motivations.

But a panel of three judges ruled that there was no evidence supporting those claims.

The court document states that the alleged offenses occurred between 2015 and 2023, involving the abuse of Vanshelboim’s UNOPS position and efforts to conceal illegal payments.

The panel found sufficient grounds for extradition on bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering charges, but denied extradition on three conspiracy counts, as those are not recognized as separate offenses under Spanish law.

The ruling remains subject to appeal and final approval by the Spanish government.