MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI) – A court in New York has refused to extradite Russian art dealer to Poland where he is accused of knowingly keeping the stolen painting that was inherited from his father, StarTribune has reported.

According to StarTribune, a court has found no evidence that the defendant, Alexander Khochinskiy, knew that the painting in question, "Girl with a Dove", was stolen from Polish museum by the Nazis when he acquired it.

Khochinskiy was arrested in New York in Febraury at the request of Poland. Defendant testified this spring that his father who was a soldier during World War II returned home with the painting, StarTribune has reported.

Defendant claimed that he inherited the painting from his father in 1991. In 2010 he learned that Poland was seeking the painting and contacted the authorities of the country, StarTribune has reported. Polish officials demanded Khochinskiy to return the painting without compensation and asked Russian authorities to intervene but the defendant managed to move the painting to undisclosed location first.