Deprivation of citizenship and extradition to the United States: why the espionage case goes beyond the court in Greece

The case about spying by a Greek Air Force colonel for China, can get scandalous sequel depending on whether the measure will be applied to the accused deprivation of citizenship.

This was brought to the attention of a retired air vice-marshal Konstantinos Yatridiscommenting on the situation surrounding a 54-year-old Air Force officer who is suspected of intelligence activities.

Espionage case: revoking citizenship could pave way for extradition to US pic.twitter.com/iU0As73WIT

— Athens News (@russianathens) February 10, 2026

Speaking on a television program, Yatridis said that in the event of deprivation of citizenship US may request extradition for trial on its territory.

“If his citizenship is revoked, according to the latest Nikos Dendias law, a state, such as America, can request that he be tried there too.”he said.

Yatridis separately emphasized that the mere intention of a military specialist after service to move to the private sector is not something reprehensible.

“Many fellow engineers go to work for private companies after retiring, and there is nothing shameful in that,” he noted on the TV channel SKAI.

According to him, 54 year old officer also sent out resumes to companies, trying to secure a professional future after completing his service. However, as the discussion of the case highlights, the context of the allegations makes any contact and interest in the private sector a subject of increased scrutiny.

Editorial comment

The story of the possible deprivation of citizenship and subsequent extradition of a Greek officer to the United States is not just a legal issue. This is a test of the sovereignty of the state and its willingness to protect its own citizens even in the most inconvenient matters.

The Greek Constitution is based on a basic principle: citizenship is a lasting legal link between an individual and the state, and not a temporary pass that can be revoked for political expediency.

Deprivation of citizenship is allowed only in exceptional cases and cannot be turned into a tool to facilitate the transfer of a person to another country.

When the state first deprives a citizen of legal protection and then opens the way for his extradition, this does not look like justice, but like a conscious refusal of responsibility.

In fact, the scheme is formed: first remove the protection, then transfer the problem ally hegemon.

This is not directly stated in the law, but this is exactly what the logic of what is happening looks like.

A sovereign state judges its citizens itself. It does not shift sensitive matters into someone else’s jurisdiction, especially when it comes to national security, military and intelligence matters.

The United States never does this to its officers. They are tried in American courts and sent to American prisons. It doesn’t occur to anyone to “get rid” of them by depriving them of their passport.

When such a practice is allowed in Greece, it creates a dangerous precedent: the state demonstrates its willingness to abandon a citizen if it is more convenient in an international configuration.

This is no longer a question of criminal law. This is a question of political will and real independence.

Such decisions mean one thing: in critical matters, the country prefers to act not as a subject, but as a mediator.

The authorities may attribute this to alliance obligations, security and international cooperation. But behind these formulations lies a simple logic – to shift responsibility to a stronger partner.

This behavior does not make the security system stronger. It makes her dependent.

Today this applies to an Air Force officer. Tomorrow can affect anyone who finds themselves in a politically inconvenient matter.

A state that easily abandons its citizens sooner or later ceases to be a full-fledged defender of their rights.

True sovereignty begins with a simple formula: “He is ours. We are judging him. We are responsible for him.”

Everything else is signs of weakness, covered up by legal rhetoric.

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