Plahotniuc and Țuțu in handcuffs before Athens court
Vladimir Plahotniuc and Constantin Țuțu, who were detained in Greece on July 22, appeared in court in Athens on Friday, July 25, to be questioned regarding the possession of false documents.
The video footage showing the two individuals in handcuffs while being escorted to court was made public by the editorial office of "Cu Sens" from Chisinau.
"The two were escorted by several vehicles, accompanied by armed officers from the Special Unit for Combating Terrorism and police officers from the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Hellenic Republic. According to their lawyer, Vassilis Spyrou, they requested a postponement of the hearings to allow more time to prepare their defense. Following this, Plahotniuc and Țuțu were taken to the Korydallos penitentiary, the largest prison in Greece," reports cusens.md.
The Korydallos Prison Complex, located in the town of Korydallos in the Piraeus area, is the largest prison in Greece. This maximum-security facility houses male and female inmates deemed to be dangerous.
Amnesty International and several other human rights organizations, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, have consistently raised concerns about the conditions within Korydallos Prison. According to a 2023 report, issues include severe overcrowding, outdated infrastructure, a shortage of medical staff, poor hygiene, and dirty mattresses and blankets. Some cells are alarmingly cramped; for instance, in one section, seven inmates are squeezed into just 9.5 square meters, without individual beds, forcing them to sleep directly on mattresses laid out on the floor.
On the morning of July 22, 2025, Vladimir Plahotniuc and Constantin Țuțu were detained at "Eleftherios Venizelos" International Airport in Athens while attempting to leave Greece for Dubai. Both individuals were wanted internationally by Interpol—Plahotniuc at the request of the Republic of Moldova and Țuțu at the request of the Russian Federation. The Greek authorities issued provisional arrest warrants for 40 days for both men.
On July 24, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Moldova officially submitted an extradition request for Vladimir Plahotniuc to the authorities of the Hellenic Republic. The Russian Federation also submitted a similar request regarding Constantin Țuțu.
Plahotniuc faces charges from Moldovan anti-corruption prosecutors in four criminal cases, which include the formation of an organized criminal group, large-scale money laundering, and fraud. These charges involve his alleged participation in the 2013–2015 “bank fraud,” also known as the “billion-dollar theft.”
Constantin Țuțu is facing charges from Russian authorities related to drug trafficking crimes.
