What legal protections exist if an MLA request originates from a country with a poor human rights record?

Executing states retain discretion to refuse MLA requests that would violate fundamental rights or public policy. Under EU frameworks and many bilateral treaties, grounds for refusal include risks of torture, persecution based on race, religion, or political opinion, and denial of fair trial guarantees. Courts in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland have blocked cooperation where evidence suggests the underlying prosecution is politically motivated. Effective defence requires submitting detailed country condition reports, expert testimony, and documentation of the requesting state’s judicial system deficiencies to the executing authority.