Russia joins US in seeking return of alleged LinkedIn hacker

The Czech Justice Ministry says Russia has joined the United States in seeking the extradition of a Russian man who faces charges in the United States of hacking and stealing information from computers at LinkedIn, Dropbox and other San Francisco Bay Area companies.

The Justice Ministry said Wednesday that Russia wants Yevgeniy Nikulin of Moscow extradited due to a 2009 Internet theft. Russian officials previously had said they were working to prevent his extradition to the U.S.

Nikulin was arrested in Prague on Oct. 5 after Interpol issued an international warrant. Czech officers cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case.

The ministry says the 29-year-old will remain jailed until his extradition hearing at a Prague court. No date has been set for the hearing.