Italy has approved the extradition of a Chinese national sought by United States authorities over hacking allegations, including the theft of COVID-19 medical research, according to Reuters citing a source familiar with the case.

The move, first reported by Bloomberg, comes after an Italian court ruled earlier in April that Xu Zewei was eligible for extradition.

An Italian government spokesperson declined to comment, while Xu’s lawyer, Enrico Giarda, said his client had not yet received any official notification regarding the decision.

Xu was arrested in Milan on July 3 at the request of U.S. authorities, who accuse him of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft linked to alleged cyberattacks carried out between February 2020 and June 2021.

After his arrest, Xu’s lawyer said his client was the victim of mistaken identity.

The U.S. Department of Justice claims Xu conducted hacking operations and stole critical COVID-19 research on behalf of the Chinese government.

The DOJ said Xu was part of a group of cyber specialists who in 2020 allegedly targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists engaged in research on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and testing.