Ukrainian tycoon Firtash escapes extradition to U.S
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.
He was released from detention in March 2014 after posting bail of 125 million euros (91 million pounds).
The billionaire industrialist said allegations that he had conspired to bribe Indian government officials to win licenses to mine titanium were "absolutely untrue" and called himself victim of a political campaign.
A U.S. grand jury in 2013 indicted Firtash, along with a member of India's parliament and four others.
The detention of Firtash, whose business concerns in gas trading and chemicals thrived under Ukraine's ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich, coincided with a sharp escalation in Ukraine's political crisis, which pits the West against Russia.
Firtash's legal team had argued that the criminal case intended to exert pressure on an influential man whom Washington saw as a representative of Russian interests in Ukraine and a disruptive factor in its politics.
They said the case should be thrown out on several grounds, including a lack of evidence or U.S. jurisdiction and the fact that charges against him were not crimes in Austria.
Judge Christoph Bauer said U.S. officials had failed to make a sufficient case of any wrongdoing. He said Firtash could have his passport bank and leave Austria, but he kept the bail in place in case any more issues still had to be decided.
Firtash's lawyers traced a timeline in which they said he had aroused U.S. suspicions from 2004 by founding a venture with Russia's Gazprom to deliver gas to Ukraine. Firtash said he had acted as an honest broker to help end wrangling over prices.
His team cited leaked U.S. diplomatic cables expressing distrust of Firtash, and questioned why the U.S. extradition request was briefly withdrawn when the political tide in Ukraine seemed to be swinging towards the West, which could have made his detention "counterproductive".
Firtash, wearing a grey suit and red tie, followed the case attentively via interpreters who whispered into his ear. He looked relieved as his lawyers ushered him out of the courthouse.
(Reporting by Michael Shields and Alex Schuller; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Robin Pomeroy)