Safe from U.S. extradition?

[Rollo]

It look like there are few 100% safe havens.

As a start here is a little sample:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ition_treaties

Of course, a lot of this doesn't apply to online gambling but more for such offenses as muder, rape, etc... so just for the sake of fun, in which counties do you think gambling moguls safe would be safe from a U.S. extradition request?

Beats the hell out of me but it's safe to say the Domincan Republic is not on the list. I'd guess Israel is safe. Antingua for the moment. Cuba won't extradite. It looks like everyone is making their way out of Costa Rica as fast as they can.

I've heard Brazil (who harbored the Great Train Robber for decades), Venezuela and others don't extradite for financial crimes... it's quite difficult to tell. Also, just becuae a contry doesn't have a formal extradition agreement with the U.S. doesn't mean they won't honor such requests on a case by case basis.

Very confusing.

[Simmo!]

..in which counties do you think gambling moguls safe would be safe from a U.S. extradition request?

I'm no political analyst, but it seems to me from recent events (ie: the bankers extradited from the UK last year) that the US terrorism laws pretty much allow carte blanche for the DoJ. In effect, anyone could be extradited from anywhere for anything just by them stating suspected terrorist related activity. What's more they have public sympathy on their side in the fight against terror.

[Mousey]

anyone could be extradited from anywhere for anything just by them stating suspected terrorist related activity

If there's only one thing we've learned recently, it is that all the DoJ and/or FBI has to do is wave a paper and wiggle their finger and countries, international banks, governments, hand over whatever and whoever the DoJ wants.

[lojo]

Yip, extradition is known to them as 'rendition' and they have extraordinary versions of it

[GrandMaster]

I'm no political analyst, but it seems to me from recent events (ie: the bankers extradited from the UK last year) that the US terrorism laws pretty much allow carte blanche for the DoJ. In effect, anyone could be extradited from anywhere for anything just by them stating suspected terrorist related activity. What's more they have public sympathy on their side in the fight against terror.

It has more to do with the spineless Blair government and the new extradition treaty, which does away with old-fashioned things like having to produce evidence in court. It is now easier to extradite someone from the UK to the US than to arrest him in the US, where the 4th amendment still applies.

[jetset]

Under the anti-terrorism extradition agreement the extraditing authority does not even have to prove a prima facie case, I believe - and an article in the mainstream media on the abuse of its provisions by US enforcement zealots last year gave some pretty staggering statistics on the people who have been extradited...the majority of them faced charges that had nothing to do with terrorism.

[Rollo]

Yes, seems like there aren't many safe heavans. Extradition laws are so complex and add to that ever-changing that it's not a good time to be a fututive. Running for the Mexican border is long over... but I think many countries don't extradite for many types of financial crimes to which gambling seemily would be related. Marc Rich of Clinton fame was living safely in Switzerland. Brazil, I hear, doesn't extradite for financial crimes either.

Anyway, I guess there are a few Sportsbetting billionaires out there sweating brinks right now (re: Calvin Ayre).

Antigua is nice, but who would want be trapped there forever as travel becomes too risky? Well, then again I'd still probably trade places...

[Paddy]

It depends on what crime you are talking about.

If you are talking about online gambling, then online gambling has to be a crime in the "requested state" as well, i.e. in the country being asked to extradite. So, on that rule, called the dual criminality rule, Antigua, for instance, wouldn't extradite.

It's a safe bet to say that Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia won't extradite either. Ireland wouldn't extradite for something bullshit like online gambling. Ireland pretty well always refuses American extradition requests.

Many countries, including most of those in continental Europe, have a clause in their treaties with the US that allow them to refuse to extradite their own citizens. What they do is receive the US evidence in their own courts, and try the person sought in their own country. The constitutions of many countries, including Canada, forbid the extradition of citizens of those countries.