Europeans will stop extraditions to Russia and Belarus

European Ministers of Justice have decided to no longer process extradition requests in criminal matters from Russia or Belarus, announced French Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti on Friday March 4. “We have reached a broad agreement to no longer process requests for criminal judicial cooperation in matters of mutual assistance and extradition” from these two countries, because “this cooperation presupposes trust and respect for international law”he said after a meeting of ministers in Brussels on the subject of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine.

“A number of requests will no longer be processed. This will be a case-by-case review”but civil judicial cooperation (international child abductions, etc.) is not concerned and the States will not denounce existing extradition treaties, specified Eric Dupond-Moretti.

In addition, the Twenty-Seven will “redouble our vigilance against abusive judicial procedures, such as international arrest warrants issued [par Moscou ou Minsk] against Polish and Lithuanian magistrates, an instrumentalization of justice for purposes that have nothing to do with it”, he warned. Russia had notably issued arrest warrants against judges and prosecutors of a court in Vilnius who had convicted in absentia of former Soviet soldiers and officials of war crimes during a deadly attack on Lithuania’s independence. in 1991.

The ministers also decided to mobilize the judicial cooperation agency Eurojust to “collect” evidence of possible war crimes, as part of the investigation opened by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Friday’s meeting was also expected to allow ministers to reach a common position on the inclusion of hate crimes and speech, especially online, in the list of EU offences, a priority project for the French EU Presidency. which requires unanimity. According to Eric Dupond-Moretti, 23 countries currently support this extension of “eurocrimes” (which include ten offenses judged “particularly serious” terrorism, human trafficking, arms and drug trafficking, etc.). A compromise is hoped for in March with a view to a final agreement with MEPs by the end of June.