Veaceslav Platon has been denied bail by the UK courts. He will await extradition, IPN reports.

According to the Westminster Magistrates' Court, Platon appeared before magistrates on Friday asking to be released on bail pending a full hearing of his extradition request to Moldova.

Lawyer Peter Caldwell said his client, Veaceslav Platon, whom he described as an "effective dissident", had applied for political asylum in the UK as a result of his treatment while in custody in Moldova after he was detained in 2016.

Veaceslav Platon was convicted in Moldova in 2017 of money laundering, and his lawyer Caldwell referred to a 2018 US State Department report which said Platon attended a meeting visibly bruised, saying he "has a well-founded fear of persecution".

His lawyer also said that Platon, previously holding Ukrainian citizenship "as a banker provided immense support to Ukraine" in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Caldwell also said that it was "no coincidence" that the extradition request for Moldova was issued in April 2022, adding that Platon was sentenced in Russia in his absence in 2023. Canada also imposed sanctions on Platon.

Catherine Brown, a lawyer representing the Moldovan authorities, said Veaceslav Platon should not be released on bail, given the risk that he could flee Britain.

"Between 2010 and 2014, he was the organizer and leader of a criminal organization that organized several illegal money transfers worth an estimated $22 billion," Brown added.

Catherine Brown also said that Platon allegedly had the financial resources and criminal connections to flee and that he had personal knowledge and influence over judges in Moldova.

Judge Joanna Matson refused to grant bail to Veaceslav Platon, saying that Platon's claim that his case was political was not an issue on which the magistrate could rule.

Veaceslav Platon will remain in the custody of the British authorities until his extradition to the Republic of Moldova is sentenced.