Extradition request to Romania successfully discharged

Our client’s extradition was sought by Romania pursuant to a conviction warrant in relation to two offences of theft. There was an outstanding sentence of five years of imprisonment.

We raised a number of bars to extradition were raised, including that extradition would amount to a breach of our client’s rights not to be subjected to inhumane treatment (Article 3 ECHR) in Romanian prisons, that extradition would be a disproportionate interference with his right to a private life (Article 8 EHCR), and that extradition would be oppressive due to the client’s ill-health (s25 EA 2003).

Our client was diagnosed with PTSD in relation to several traumatic events that took place in his childhood and had developed a combination of epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures as a result of his trauma. He was also diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It was argued that extradition to Romania would result in the client’s re-traumatisation, and it was demonstrated, through expert psychiatric evidence, that PTSD cannot be effectively treated in a Romanian custodial setting, where our client would have been exposed to numerous triggers of his anxiety and trauma.

On 21 September 2023, our client was subsequently discharged pursuant to s25 of the Extradition Act.

Poppy Ingall was the solicitor with conduct of this case. Enrico Braguglia assisted on this matter. Saoirse Townshend of Temple Garden Chambers and Benjamin Seifert of 1 Crown Office Row were the instructed counsel.