Political Extradition

Yes. If you are in a Council of Europe member state and face extradition to a state where your ECHR rights would be violated, you can apply to the European Court of Human Rights for interim measures under Rule 39. This can immediately halt the extradition while the Court considers your case. We are experienced […]

A successful refugee claim — finding that you face persecution for political reasons — strongly supports a political motivation defence in extradition proceedings. A refugee status decision by a credible authority demonstrates that the charges against you are politically driven. We work with asylum and refugee specialists to ensure that both proceedings reinforce each other, […]

Yes. The political offence exception is not limited to inherently political crimes. If fraud or corruption charges are used as a pretext for political persecution — a common tactic in post-Soviet states — courts can find that the offence has a predominantly political character. We have successfully argued political motivation in cases involving business disputes, […]

Proving political motivation requires evidence. This typically includes: documentation of your political activities, business disputes, or public statements; expert reports on the political situation in the requesting state; evidence of selective prosecution (others in similar positions not being prosecuted); reports from international human rights organisations; and any relevant decisions by refugee or asylum authorities. Our […]