The International Department of Israel’s State Attorney’s Office has filed a petition with the Jerusalem District Court to declare Rostislav Panev extraditable to the United States, for the purpose of prosecuting him there on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and computer-related activity, conspiracy to commit fraud by electronic means, and other computer crimes.

The petition was filed last October and today the publication ban on it was lifted. According to the extradition request, the LockBit group is one of the world’s most prominent ransomware groups, which developed ransomware software as a service. The software was used to attack the computers of approximately 2,500 victims, who were required to pay a ransom in exchange for the release of their computers and sensitive information. In cases where payment was refused, the stolen information was published on a dedicated server of the group.

The details of the extradition request indicate that between 2019 and 2024, Panev served as a software developer at the LockBit group. As part of his activities, he developed advanced components, including a tool that allows ransom letters to be printed from any printer connected to the attacked computer. During this period, Panev received a total consideration of approximately $230,000, which was paid in Bitcoin.

Panev was arrested in Israel on August 18, 2024, and after receiving an official extradition request from the US and the Minister of Justice signing the appropriate order, a petition was filed to declare him extraditable, along with a request to detain him until the petition is decided.

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