WARSAW, October 4 - RAPSI. The Polish Justice Ministry has received a letter from the Russian Investigative Committee with guarantees that former prosecutor Alexander Ignatenko's rights will be observed, thus fulfilling a prerequisite for his extradition to Russia, the ministry told RIA Novosti.

In 2011, Ignatenko was named a suspect in the "underground casinos case". He was arrested on January 1, 2012 at the Zakopane ski resort in Poland. On June 6, the court extended Ignatenko's detention until October 9.

The high-profile illegal casino scandal in Moscow Oblast came to light in 2011 and caused a public uproar. Businessman Ivan Nazarov allegedly operated illegal casinos in 15 towns across the region. According to law enforcement authorities, several high-ranking officials from the prosecutor's offices and the federal Interior Ministry were involved in the operation, which generated between $5 million and $10 million in monthly revenue.

In May this year, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights sent a letter to the Polish Justice Ministry stating that the Ignatenko case may be politically motivated. The foundation advised the ministry to ask the Investigative Committee to commit to respecting Ignatenko's rights if he is extradited to Russia.

On October 5, the Nowy Sacz district court in Poland will consider the extension of his arrest term, which currently expires on October 9.

“After the court rules on the possibility of extending the temporary arrest period, I will be able to come to a decision within a week,” said the Undersecretary of State responsible for international contacts, Michał Królikowski.

Earlier, the Polish Justice Ministry asked the Prosecutor General's Office about the status of their request in terms of the extradition: whether the office “supports the request, intends to amend it or to revoke it.” Królikowski says the reply he received was not straightforward.