Country Extradition Extradite Crime United People Individuals Treaties

"Extradition" is the process of one country transferring a "criminal" (a person who has committed a crime and broken the law) or "suspected criminal" (a person who is believed to be a criminal, but it hasn't yet been proven) to another country, usually the country where the crime was committed. For example, if a man commits a murder in the United States and then "flees" (runs away) to a country in Europe, the United States might "initiate" (begin) extradition proceedings, asking the European country to transfer that man back to the United States, where he will "be subject to" (have to follow the rules of) the country's "judicial system" (the people and agencies involved in determining whether people have broken the law and what their punishment should be).

"Sovereignty" (the power and the authority of a state or nation to govern itself) includes the idea that a government has people within its "borders" (on its land), so a country "is not obligated" (does not have to) extradite a criminal or suspected criminal to another country. That is why the "terms" (specific requirements and characteristics) of extradition are usually "governed" (ruled, controlled) by "treaties" (official agreements between countries) in which countries agree to extradite individuals under certain conditions.

Normally, extradition treaties "stipulate" (clearly state) that a country will participate in extradition proceedings only if the crime is punishable in both countries. Many countries refuse to extradite individuals "accused of" (said to have done something bad) political crimes. And others refuse to extradite individuals if they might be subject to "torture" (using physical pain to punish someone) or the "death penalty" (killing someone as punishment for a crime).