Ukrainian tycoon Firtash escapes extradition to U.S

Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraine's most influential oligarchs, appears in Vienna, Austria, April 30, 2015. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian court refused on Thursday to extradite Ukrainian industrialist Dmytro Firtash to the United States, accepting his argument that political motivations lay behind U.S. efforts to try him on corruption charges.

One of Ukraine's most influential oligarchs, Firtash, 49, was arrested in Vienna a year ago at the request of U.S. authorities, which have been investigating him since 2006.