Extradition Lawyer International

International extradition is the formal legal process by which one country requests the surrender of a person located in another country for the purposes of criminal prosecution or enforcement of a sentence. It operates through bilateral treaties, multilateral conventions, or on the basis of comity between states — and involves complex procedural and substantive legal questions that vary significantly between jurisdictions.

When an extradition request is made, the requested state must decide whether to comply based on its domestic extradition statute, applicable treaty obligations, and overriding human rights considerations. The courts in the requested state do not conduct a full retrial of the underlying criminal case; instead they assess whether the conditions for extradition are met and whether any statutory bars apply.

Extradition can be resisted on many grounds, including:

• Political offence exception — charges are politically motivated or related to political activity
• Human rights bars — extradition would violate the right to life, freedom from torture, or the right to a fair trial (Articles 2, 3, 6 ECHR)
• Double criminality — the conduct alleged does not constitute a criminal offence in both states
• Specialty rule violations — the requesting state has not agreed to limit prosecution to the charges in the extradition request
• Passage of time — an excessive delay in bringing proceedings makes extradition unjust or oppressive
• Prison conditions — conditions in the requesting state’s prisons breach minimum human rights standards
• Abuse of process — the prosecution is tainted by bad faith, entrapment, or improper conduct

Our lawyers have extensive experience in each of these defences and have successfully prevented extradition for clients originating from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and other high-risk jurisdictions.

Understanding how extradition proceedings unfold is critical to mounting an effective defence. While the specific procedural rules differ between countries, the typical extradition process follows these stages:

1. Interpol Red Notice or diffusion — the requesting state often issues an Interpol Red Notice or diffusion notice to facilitate international arrest. Challenging the notice at the CCF can undermine the extradition request at its foundation.
2. Provisional arrest — the person is detained at a border, airport, or within the territory. Immediate legal intervention is essential to secure bail and prevent prolonged detention.
3. Formal extradition request — the requesting state submits the formal request, including the warrant, statement of facts, and relevant criminal code provisions. Our lawyers examine this documentation for deficiencies and legal bars.
4. Initial hearing and bail — courts consider whether to grant bail and set the timetable for the extradition hearing. We argue for bail in all appropriate cases.
5. Full extradition hearing — the court examines all grounds of resistance, including human rights, double criminality, and statutory bars. This is where our detailed legal submissions are filed.
6. Appeal proceedings — a negative outcome at first instance can be appealed to higher courts. We handle appeals in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, UAE and other jurisdictions.
7. Asylum and international protection — where clients face genuine persecution, we coordinate parallel asylum and refugee status applications to create additional protection.

A significant proportion of extradition requests handled by our firm originate from governments using criminal law as a tool of political or commercial persecution. Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan have all issued extradition requests or Interpol notices that have been found by international bodies to violate human rights standards.

The political offence exception bars extradition where the underlying charges are genuinely political in nature. This is recognised in the UK Extradition Act 2003, the European Convention on Extradition, and in the domestic statutes of most EU member states. Courts assess the political motivation by examining the profile of the accused, the nature of the alleged offence, the human-rights record of the requesting state, and the timing of the prosecution.

In addition to the political offence exception, clients facing politically motivated extradition from states with poor rule-of-law records can invoke Article 3 (prohibition on torture and inhuman treatment) and Article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Extradition to states where fair trials cannot be guaranteed — including states where judicial independence is compromised — is routinely refused.

Our lawyers also challenge the underlying Interpol Red Notices before the Commission for the Control of Files, arguing that the notices are non-compliant with Article 3 of Interpol’s Constitution prohibiting politically motivated notices. A successful CCF challenge not only removes the notice but also significantly undermines the extradition request.

Our extradition practice covers all major jurisdictions. Key areas of our practice include:

• UK Extradition — the UK Extradition Act 2003 provides comprehensive bars and extensive appellate rights. We appear regularly before Westminster Magistrates Court, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal in extradition matters.
• UAE Extradition — the UAE has a network of bilateral extradition treaties and applies both civil and Sharia law in extradition proceedings. UAE extradition cases require immediate action: the UAE can surrender individuals very rapidly under some agreements.
• EU Extradition — within the EU, the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) mechanism applies. Outside the EU, bilateral extradition treaties govern. We handle cases across Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and all other EU member states.
• Turkey Extradition — Turkey has bilateral treaties with many countries and an extradition relationship with the UK and EU states. Turkish extradition cases often involve politically motivated charges following the 2016 coup attempt.
• US Extradition — the United States has extradition treaties with most countries. US cases often involve the fugitive disentitlement doctrine and complex interplay with OFAC sanctions and financial crime charges.

Where no extradition treaty exists, extradition may still proceed on the basis of comity, diplomatic assurances, or special arrangements. Our lawyers advise on country-specific risk and safe jurisdictions for clients who need to travel.

Interpol does not have the power to extradite — that remains a function of national courts acting under treaty obligations. However, Interpol’s Red Notices and diffusions play a pivotal role in triggering provisional arrest and facilitating the early stages of the extradition process. A Red Notice circulated to 196 member states effectively restricts international travel and creates the conditions for arrest in any cooperating country.

Our approach combines Interpol defence with extradition defence:

This integrated approach — combining CCF proceedings with domestic extradition defence — gives clients the strongest possible protection against both Interpol-facilitated arrest and formal extradition.

Intercollegium is a specialist international criminal law firm with a dedicated extradition and Interpol practice. Our lawyers bring together expertise in extradition law, international human rights law, and Interpol procedure — making us uniquely equipped to handle the full spectrum of cross-border criminal defence challenges.

• Specialist extradition lawyers with experience in UK, EU, UAE, and global jurisdictions
• Integrated Interpol CCF practice — we challenge notices in parallel with extradition proceedings
• Track record of successful defences for clients from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and the UAE
• Emergency response available: we act in cases of provisional arrest 24/7
• Full service: from initial risk assessment through to appellate proceedings and asylum applications
• Free initial consultation: +357 96 447475