Legal professionals call for UK-UAE extradition treaty to be suspended

Unenforceable extradition treaty is needlessly costing UK taxpayers millions of pounds a year

Legal professionals, led by human rights NGO Detained In Dubai, are calling for the UK-UAE Extradition Treaty to be suspended after multiple UK court rulings have rejected UAE extradition requests due to the “real likelihood of human rights violations”.

The English High Court ruled against an extradition request in the case of Lodhi in 2010, generating a precedent that prevents extradition if there is a risk that the requested party will be subject to human rights violations and unfair trials. Since then, lower courts have followed the precedent and ruled against all subsequent requests.

In a Westminster Magistrates Court hearing last year, Judge Purdy ruled against extradition; He even went to the extent of chastising the UAE for failing to assist their prosecutor in providing any evidence that may counter allegations of human rights abuses; Perhaps they had none.