A Russian fugitive detained in the U.S. claiming he fled his homeland because of persecution for opposing President Vladimir Putin is one step closer to being extradited, although not without objections from one federal appeals judge who claimed the judicial system could be the unwitting pawn of the Russian government in this case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled 2-1 that Igor V. Borbot was not entitled to a new bond hearing, on the basis that he is “a danger to the community.”