An Austrian court announced Wednesday that it had rejected the extradition to the United States of Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash on bribery charges, the latest twist in a long-running legal saga.

An ex-ally of Ukraine's ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, Firtash made his fortune importing gas to Ukraine from Russia and Central Asia in collaboration with Russian gas giant Gazprom.

He is already the target of British and Ukrainian sanctions.

Firtash is wanted in the United States on charges that he paid bribes to officials in India to secure titanium mining licences in 2006.

The 60-year-old has denied all wrongdoing, arguing that the charges brought against him are politically motivated.

Vienna's Higher Regional Court said in a statement it had decided on December 9 to di

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