#Tag · BT Free Social

Why do extradition treaties exist? Venezuela shows us exactly why.
“The #US operation in #Venezuela is extraterritorial #rendition, not #extradition.” | Ben Keith https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ben-keith-68a81040_why-do-extradition-treaties-exist-venezuela-activity-7414250866251288576-gLHJ #internationallaw #kidnapping. Also see Ben Keith’s post on how the “US approach to extradition is unusual. Even without #extraordinaryrendition.”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ben-keith-68a81040_the-us-approach-to-extradition-is-unusual-activity-7415001328751362049-G8SY

The US approach to extradition is unusual. Even without extraordinary rendition.

In extradition the concept of specialty prevents a requesting state from prosecuting an extradited person for… | Ben Keith | 15 comments

The US approach to extradition is unusual. Even without extraordinary rendition. In extradition the concept of specialty prevents a requesting state from prosecuting an extradited person for offences other than those for which they were surrendered. Without specialty, extradition becomes transportation, request someone for anything, then prosecute them for anything. That’s why treaties have provisions for refusal where offences do not have dual criminality or on political or human rights grounds. A person should not be extradited for theft and the prosecuted for terrorism for instance. However, the US treats speciality differently to most states. The majority of US Circuit Courts hold that individuals have no standing to invoke specialty. Only the surrendering state can object. It is therefore a state to state mechanism. Compare this with Article 14 of the European Convention on Extradition. European courts recognise that specialty is a protection for the individual, not merely an inter-state arrangement. Whilst the surrendering state must consent to prosecution for additional offences, the extradited person can challenge violations directly. This isn't academic. The German Constitutional Court refused US extradition in the Adem Yilmaz case (28 January 2019) precisely because US courts, require the surrendering state to protest specialty violations before defendants can raise them. The German court held: "The defendant must be able, in his own right, to invoke the rule of speciality in the United States." In the UK, the Court of Appeal overturned Jack Shepherd's conviction for a Bail Act offence in after he was extradited from Georgia for the speed boat killing. Georgia had not consented to the additional charge. The court held the conviction was a nullity, even though Shepherd himself had consented to extradition, admitted the offence, and the warrant referenced the breach of bail. Specialty still applied. In the Maduro case he has not even been subject to extradition so Specialty does not function at all. In less political cases lawyers are very precise with language in order to determine what their client faces. In theory Maduro might protest at the changing of the charges but in practice the US have steamrollered international law. Some will say they have done it for the right reasons but it sets a miserable precedent. Credit unsplash | 15 comments on LinkedIn

Why do extradition treaties exist? Venezuela shows us exactly why.

Extradition is a legal process. It requires a treaty between states, often judicial oversight, and some proof that the requested… | Ben Keith | 25 comments

Why do extradition treaties exist? Venezuela shows us exactly why. Extradition is a legal process. It requires a treaty between states, often judicial oversight, and some proof that the requested individual has committed an offence recognised as criminal in both jurisdictions. The requested state retains the right to refuse if the evidence is insufficient, if the offence is political, or if fair trial guarantees cannot be assured. Extradition respects sovereignty because it requires consent. Extraterritorial rendition, or to call it what it is, kidnapping, bypasses all of this. It involves the forcible removal of an individual from one state's territory without that state's consent. There is no judicial process, no treaty framework, no opportunity for the requested state to assess the legitimacy of the request. It is, in essence, a violation of territorial sovereignty dressed up as law enforcement. The US operation in Venezuela is extraterritorial rendition, not extradition. So was the seizure of Manuel Noriega from Panama in 1990. So was the removal of Manuel Zelaya from Honduras in 2009 via a US military base. Why does this distinction matter? Because extradition reinforces the rule of law between states. It acknowledges that sovereignty is mutual, that legal processes must be respected, and that no state, however powerful, has the unilateral right to enforce its criminal law on another state's territory. Extraterritorial rendition does the opposite. It asserts that military capability trumps legal process. It treats sovereignty as optional. It establishes a precedent that the powerful can simply take what they want, when they want, regardless of international law. This is not about whether Maduro, or Noriega, or anyone else committed crimes. It is about whether we resolve disputes through law or through force. When states abandon extradition in favour of extraterritorial rendition, they undermine the very legal frameworks that are supposed to govern international relations. The moment we accept that kidnapping is a legitimate tool of foreign policy, we accept that international law applies only to those without the power to resist it. | 25 comments on LinkedIn

Catherine Morris

@cmorris@mastodon.social · 3 days ago

The US approach to extradition is unusual. Even without extraordinary rendition.

In extradition the concept of specialty prevents a requesting state from prosecuting an extradited person for… | Ben Keith | 15 comments

Why do extradition treaties exist? Venezuela shows us exactly why.

Extradition is a legal process. It requires a treaty between states, often judicial oversight, and some proof that the requested… | Ben Keith | 25 comments

G. Gibson boosted

Steve's Place

@steter@mastodon.stevesworld.co · 4 days ago

GovTrack.us

@GovTrack@mastodon.social · 4 days ago

Provisions of S. 237 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN] were enacted on 12/18/25 (via S. 1071). Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/s237 🏛️

What does this "Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025" even mean when the military stood in American cities to defend abductors sent by the leader of a child rape cult to remove non-Aryans by any means necessary? They spat on our country. What is it worth when our heroes "are only following orders" to abduct a foreign leader, murdering over 50 people in cold blood in the process? Nazis are not heroes. Fascist lap-dogs are not heroes. Neither are the "heroes" now threatening to acquire, or cease defending, Ukraine, Greenland, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and all of Europe. Have I missed any additional victims of the expansive Trump/Epstein child rape cult?

The only way they made money was as a consequence of the rapes. Prove me wrong. Release all of the Epstein data unredacted (except for the children's identities - they should not be punished again after being gang-raped by the leaders of the free world).

#Pentagon #Trump #Epstein #rape #murder #abduction #kidnapping #law

https://mastodon.social/@GovTrack/115849934171387006

Steve's Place

@steter@mastodon.stevesworld.co · 4 days ago

GovTrack.us

@GovTrack@mastodon.social · 4 days ago

Provisions of S. 237 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN] were enacted on 12/18/25 (via S. 1071). Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/s237 🏛️

#Pentagon #Trump #Epstein #rape #murder #abduction #kidnapping #law

https://mastodon.social/@GovTrack/115849934171387006

Claire McNab

@2legged@mastodon.ie · 5 days ago

The #BBCnews Editor has sent this to #BBC journalists.

#Kidnapping must NOT be called #kidnapping, in case #Trump is offended. #SelfCensirship

#ukpol #Maduro #Venezuela #TheMadCountry

This is a text-based document presenting reporting guidelines. The title reads "As discussed in the Nine".

The text states: "To ensure clarity and consistency in our reporting, please follow these guidelines when describing the recent events in Venezuela:" followed by three bullet points:

• “Captured” – Please attribute this to the U.S. description of the operation. Example: “The U.S. said Maduro was captured during the operation.”

• “Seized” – Acceptable for use in our own reporting where appropriate.

• Avoid using “Kidnapped.”

The document ends with: "Thanks for keeping this in mind as you work on related stories." — This is a text-based document presenting reporting guidelines. The title reads "As discussed in the Nine". The text states: "To ensure clarity and consistency in our reporting, please follow these guidelines when describing the recent events in Venezuela:" followed by three bullet points: • “Captured” – Please attribute this to the U.S. description of the operation. Example: “The U.S. said Maduro was captured during the operation.” • “Seized” – Acceptable for use in our own reporting where appropriate. • Avoid using “Kidnapped.” The document ends with: "Thanks for keeping this in mind as you work on related stories."

benoit mortier boosted

Nils Wilcke

@paul_denton@mastodon.social · last week

Aucune réaction de Macron ou du gouvernement à ce stade après l'annonce du kidnapping de Maduro par Trump. Le président a regagné Paris vendredi après avoir passé le Nouvel An au Fort de Bregançon. Il a visité les pensionnaires des Invalides seul puis des enfants malades à l’Institut Roussy, le premier centre de lutte contre le cancer en Europe, à Villejuif, avec son épouse. Depuis, silence radio sur le Venezuela.

#Politique #Macron #Trump #Guerre #Kidnapping #Diplomatie #Crise #EtatsUnis

benoit mortier boosted

Nils Wilcke

@paul_denton@mastodon.social · last week

La Russie condamne l'attaque militaire américaine contre le Venezuela, estimant que "l'hostilité idéologique" avait prévalu sur la diplomatie. "Ceci est profondément inquiétant et condamnable", dénonce le ministère russe des Affaires étrangères. Mieux vaut en rire tant qu'on le peut encore... Le président Maduro n'a toujours pas donné signe de vie. Il est probable que Trump va l'exhiber devant les caméras s'il a bien été kidnappé.

#Politique #Venezuela #Trump #USA #Guerre #Kidnapping

Witchzilla and 1 other boosted

Aral Balkan

@aral@mastodon.ar.al · last week

How the EU responds to the illegal invasion of another country and the kidnapping of its president by the United States will determine-

Ah.

Continuing to kiss fascist ass it is then.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/01/03/kaja-kallas-says-maduro-lacks-legitimacy-and-calls-for-restraint/

#EU #Venezuela #kidnapping #terroristState #USA

Roknrol boosted

Rod2ik 🇪🇺 🇨🇵 🇪🇸 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇩🇰 🇬🇱☮🕊️

@rod2ik@mastodon.social · last week

#Trump : " Nous ne pouvons pas prendre le risque de placer quelqu'un qui ne pése pas comme nous ".

Nous allons maintenant " investir des millions de dollars sur le #pétrole et placer des #multinationales américaines"

Il ne s'agit plus d'un #kidnapping. Il s'agit donc d'un #coup d' #état #militaire

https://mastodon.social/tags/%C3%A9tat

https://mastodon.social/tags/p%C3%A9trole

Rod2ik 🇪🇺 🇨🇵 🇪🇸 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇩🇰 🇬🇱☮🕊️

@rod2ik@mastodon.social · last week

#Trump : " Nous ne pouvons pas prendre le risque de placer quelqu'un qui ne pése pas comme nous ".

Nous allons maintenant " investir des millions de dollars sur le #pétrole et placer des #multinationales américaines"

Il ne s'agit plus d'un #kidnapping. Il s'agit donc d'un #coup d' #état #militaire

https://mastodon.social/tags/%C3%A9tat

https://mastodon.social/tags/p%C3%A9trole

Aral Balkan

@aral@mastodon.ar.al · last week

How the EU responds to the illegal invasion of another country and the kidnapping of its president by the United States will determine-

Ah.

Continuing to kiss fascist ass it is then.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/01/03/kaja-kallas-says-maduro-lacks-legitimacy-and-calls-for-restraint/

#EU #Venezuela #kidnapping #terroristState #USA

Nils Wilcke

@paul_denton@mastodon.social · last week

#Politique #Macron #Trump #Guerre #Kidnapping #Diplomatie #Crise #EtatsUnis

Nils Wilcke

@paul_denton@mastodon.social · last week

#Politique #Venezuela #Trump #USA #Guerre #Kidnapping