GENEVA, Dec. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian ex-nuclear energy minister Yevgeny Adamov has been returned to Moscow from Switzerland, ending an extradition battle between Russia and the United States.

    The Federal Justice Office of Switzerland confirmed on Saturday that Adamov had been returned to Moscow from Zurich on Friday night accompanied by a Russian police escort.

    It was reported on Saturday that he had been jailed and charged with fraud and abuse of power.

    The extradition came 24 hours after it was announced that the Swiss Federal Court had overturned a justice ministry's decision to send Adamov to the U.S. to answer charges there.

    The court, ruling on Adamov's appeal, concluded that the Russian extradition request had priority under international law. It said the investigation into Adamov's dealings should take place in the country where the crimes are alleged to have taken place.

    In September, Swiss justice officials gave precedence to the U.S. request because "had priority been given to Russia, Adamov's Russian citizenship would have meant that he could not subsequently have been extradited forward" to the U.S..

    Adamov's lawyer said the former minister was "delighted and satisfied" with the new ruling. The Russian government also welcomed the court ruling, but Washington said it was disappointed.

    Adamov was arrested by the Swiss authorities on a U.S. warrant on May 2, while visiting his daughter in Bern. He is charged by the U.S. with embezzling funds that had been destined for nuclear-safety upgrades in Russia.

    Russia presented a formal extradition request to the Swiss authorities on May 17, accusing Adamov of fraud.

    Adamov was Russia's atomic-energy minister from 1998 to 2001, when a parliamentary commission accused him of corruption. Enditem