Three years after Liu, European courts are increasingly treating extradition to China as a structural Article 3 problem, not as an ordinary cooperation file. This post maps the emerging case law, Spain’s exceptional reliance on Chinese assurances, and Beijing’s renewed efforts to keep extradition channels open.

Italy refused Brazil’s (first) extradition request for Carla Zambelli, not because of her Italian citizenship or the political nature of the case, but because the conviction to be enforced raised a serious doubt about judicial impartiality.

Le massime più rilevanti in materia di estradizione e mandato di arresto europeo

Norwegian court goes past labels and looks at factual allegations. Surrender refused because solidarity is not a crime

Con la sentenza Khuzdar del 21 maggio 2026 (C-95/24), la Corte di giustizia interviene sul rapporto tra il rifiuto della consegna del soggetto radicato nello Stato di esecuzione e l’esecuzione della pena nello Stato membro di emissione, qualora la condanna sia stata pronunciata all’esito di un processo celebrato in assenza dell’imputato.

Con la sentenza n. 16482/2026 del 25 marzo 2026, depositata il 7 maggio 2026, la Corte di cassazione è tornata su uno dei principi chiave nel campo della cooperazione penale internazionale, ossia il divieto di estradizione quando la persona richiesta rischi di essere sottoposta alla pena di morte. La sentenza assume rilievo non soltanto per il tema, di per sé cruciale, della pena capitale, ma anche per un profilo forse ancora più interessante: la Corte esclude che, in presenz

Italian Supreme Court, Sixth Criminal Division, judgment no. 16620/2026, 5 May 2026 In judgment no. 16620/2026, the Italian Supreme Court addressed a point that is often treated as merely ancillary in extradition proceedings, but which carries significant practical and personal implications for requested persons in detention, especially if foreigners: the right to maintain telephone and video contact with close family members. The case concerned an individual detained in Ital

Le massime più rilevanti in materia di estradizione e mandato di arresto europeo (aprile 2026) Misure cautelari nel MAE e pericolo di fuga nel procedimento di consegna (Cass. pen., Sez. VI, sent. n. 15027 del 01.04.2026, depositata il 27.04.2026) Con tale pronuncia la Suprema Corte è intervenuta sul perimetro del controllo demandato al giudice italiano in sede cautelare, nell’ambito di un MAE emesso dall’autorità giudiziaria belga per il reato di associazione per delinquere f

With a decision of 22 April 2026, the Amsterdam District Court decided to stay surrender to France due to poor conditions of detention According to a circular issued by the prison administration on 17 May 1988, the French prison system affords detainees with generous living space. But this is only true on paper. In practice, France is facing a serious prison overcrowding crisis, which is at once structural and worsening. This has long been denounced by international monitorin

In Haxhia and others v Republic of Albania [2026] EWHC 956 (Admin), 26 April 2026, the UK High Court gave an important ruling on the role (and limits) of assurances in extradition proceedings, as well as on the applicable standard in potential life-sentence cases in the requesting State. The case concerned extradition requests issued by Albania in connection with an alleged murder. The requests had originally been certified on the basis of Article 78/a of the Albanian Crimina

In a judgment delivered on 23 April 2026 (C-528/24, Boothnesse), the EU Court of Justice held that, under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the mere possibility that the requesting State may breach of the rule of speciality does not, in itself, justify refusal of surrender. What matters is whether that feared breach gives rise to a real risk of a violation of fundamental rights. The case arose from proceedings before the Irish Supreme Court concerning three individua

When war reshapes a country’s legal system, can extradition still be justified? A recent judgment delivered on 29 October 2025 by the Court of Appeal of Paris (Ninth Investigating Chamber, in case no. 2024/10328) suggests that the answer is far from straightforward. The full text of the judgment is enclosed below. The French case-law What makes the judgment particularly significant is the Court’s rigorous scrutiny of the guarantees offered by Ukraine. Despite all basic requir

With judgment no. 9195 of 9 February 2026, the Italian Supreme Court has clarified and expanded the procedural role of the Requesting State in extradition proceedings before Italian courts. The case originated from an extradition request by the People’s Republic of China which had been dismissed by the Brescia Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court quashed that decision because the Requesting State had been wrongly denied participation in the first-instance proceedings despite ha

La Cassazione apre all’uso dell’incidente di esecuzione come rimedio per fatti sopravvenuti ad una precedente sentenza favorevole alla consegna.

In Hayes and Others v. UK, the European Court of Human Rights has, for the first time, applied the second limb of the Sanchez-Sanchez test. The case marks a subtle but significant recalibration of the Court’s stance on irreducible life sentences, and appears to distance the extradition context from the more robust protections established in Vinter v. UK.

The High Court has refused a renewed extradition request from Albania for an Albanian-British citizen accused of participating in a 1999 double murder. The Court held that returning the RP would expose him to a flagrant denial of justice, violating Article 6 ECHR, due to serious procedural failings in Albanian proceedings.

The Court of Appeal of Rome released Almasri on procedural grounds

The ECtHR miss the chance to clarify the extent of the revised approach to Article 3 issues regarding the imposition of life imprisonment...

Court of Justice of the European Union, judgement of the 14th of July 2022, Procureur général près la cour d’appel d’Angers , C‑168/21,...

Le massime più rilevanti in materia di estradizione e mandato di arresto europeo (gennaio-febbraio 2023) Requisito della doppia...

Conclusioni dell'Avvocato Generale Richard de la Tour, 9 marzo 2023, C-142/22, OE v. The Minister for Justice and Equality In data 9...

Consiglio di Stato, Sez. II, sentenza n. 10309 del 23 novembre 2022 Si segnala una recente, molto interessante, sentenza del Consiglio di...

Corte di Giustizia dell’UE, C‑158/21, sentenza del 31 gennaio 2023. Un nuovo importante tassello nella saga degli indipendentisti...

Corte di Giustizia dell’UE, C‑492/22 PPU, sentenza dell’8 dicembre 2022. La Corte ha chiarito le condizioni (poche e stringenti) in...

Le massime più rilevanti in materia di estradizione e mandato di arresto europeo (luglio-agosto 2022) Pericolo di trattamenti inumani e...

CdA Bari, sent. 27 maggio 2022, dep. 8 giugno 2022 Per la prima volta dall'inizio dello scoppio del conflitto in Ucraina, la Corte...

CGUE, decisione C-804/21 PPU del 28 aprile 2022 Con decisione C-804/21 PPU del 28 aprile 2022, la Corte di Giustizia dell’Unione Europea...

Cass., Sez. VI, sentenza n. 18044 del 30.03.2022 (dep. 05.05.2022), ric. Konstantinos Con sentenza n. 18044 del 30 marzo 2022, depositata...

Le massime più rilevanti in materia di estradizione e mandato di arresto europeo (febbraio 2022) Procedimento in absentia (Cass. Pen.,...

Background of the case The Supreme Court of Finland referred to the CJEU case two questions concerning the scope and effects of the...