It was a romantic trip that turned into a legal nightmare. Daniil Kasatkin, a Russian professional basketball player, was arrested on June 21 at Roissy Airport after getting down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend. The 26-year-old, a former point guard for the Moscow MBA club, is now being held in France at the request of the United States, which accuses him of participating in a vast network of cybercriminals. According to American authorities, this group of hackers carried out ransomware attacks against approximately 900 companies between 2020 and 2022, including two federal institutions. The total damages incurred remain confidential, but the charges are weighty: "conspiracy to commit computer fraud" and "conspiracy to commit computer fraud." Kasatkin is suspected of having directly negotiated some of the ransoms demanded after the computer intrusions.
A bride in tears, an athlete who proclaims his innocence
During the hearing in Paris, the scene was marked by emotion. Kasatkin's fiancée, in tears, was briefly able to embrace him before the young man, dressed in black, was taken back into custody pending extradition. His lawyer, Frédéric Bélot, denounced a misunderstanding. According to him, his client was the victim of confusion: "He bought a used computer. He did absolutely nothing. He's flabbergasted." The case takes on particular significance in the tense geopolitical context between Moscow and Washington, where accusations of Russian cyberattacks have become commonplace. However, no formal link has been established between Daniil Kasatkin and the Russian services. The player, a two-time bronze medalist at the Russian Cup, left the Moscow MBA club in early July, just days after his arrest in France. It remains to be seen whether the extradition to the United States will be validated by the French courts. Meanwhile, the man who became known for his precise passes on Russian courts must now face a completely different kind of pressure: that of an international hacking case.
