A court in The Hague has ruled that a Russian woman, wanted in Russia in connection with a major fraud case which ran from 2005 to 2009, cannot be deported, news agency ANP has reported.

The court said there is a real risk the woman could be tortured or face other inhumane treatment if she is sent back.

The woman came to the Netherlands in 2017 and applied for asylum but was not given official refugee status. In 2019 Russia put in a formal request for her extradition.

The woman has denied any involvement in the fraud case and says it is a political matter. The Hague court did not take the claims against her into account when considering the merits of her case.