Extradition Defence — Israel

Extradition Defence for Israeli Nationals

Facing an extradition request to the US, UK, or Europe? Israeli law offers powerful protections — including the right not to extradite Israeli citizens in many cases. Our firm defends clients under the Extradition Law 5714-1954 from first court appearance to final appeal.

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15
Years in extradition law
250
Cases defended
91
Refusal / stay rate (%)
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Extradition from Israel — Your Rights

Israel Has Some of the Strongest Extradition Protections in the World

Under Israeli Extradition Law 5714-1954, extradition from Israel is not automatic — even where a bilateral treaty exists. Israeli courts conduct a full review of extradition requests and can refuse extradition on a wide range of grounds:

  • Israeli citizenship — Israel historically refuses to extradite its own nationals to most countries (though exceptions exist for the US under the 2005 Protocol)
  • Dual criminality — the act must constitute a crime under Israeli law
  • Political offence exception — offences of a political character are not extraditable
  • Human rights concerns — risk of torture, unfair trial or inhumane conditions
  • Statute of limitations — if the offence is time-barred under Israeli law
  • Prior jeopardy — double jeopardy protection

We handle extradition proceedings before the Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa District Courts, and in the Supreme Court of Israel on appeal.

At a Glance
Key Facts
Legal basisExtradition Law 5714-1954
CourtsDistrict + Supreme
US treaty1962 + 2005 Protocol
Citizens protectionStrong
The Problem
Without Legal Defence
✕ Provisional arrest pending extradition hearing
✕ Passport confiscated at border
✕ Extradition approved by default in absence of challenge
✕ Facing foreign criminal justice system unprepared
✕ Family and business left without support
Our Solution
With Our Representation
✓ Immediate bail application and release
✓ Full challenge to dual criminality requirement
✓ Human rights objections properly documented
✓ Parallel CCF challenge if Red Notice is involved
✓ Supreme Court appeal if District Court rules against

01
Emergency Response (24h)

We appear at first court hearing, oppose provisional remand, and apply for bail. Obtain full details of extradition request from Ministry of Justice.

02
Treaty and Grounds Analysis

Identify applicable treaty (US 1962, UK 2003, EU Framework) or bilateral agreement. Analyse dual criminality, political character, human rights grounds and limitation periods.

03
District Court Defence

File comprehensive objections. Expert witness evidence on conditions in requesting state. Challenge procedural compliance of the requesting state's application.

04
Parallel CCF (if Red Notice)

Where a Red Notice underlies the extradition request, simultaneous CCF application is filed. Deletion of the notice significantly strengthens the Israeli court defence.

05
Supreme Court Appeal

If District Court approves extradition, we appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has granted stays and reversals in cases involving human rights concerns and political character arguments.

0
%
Stay or refusal rate
Extradition stays and outright refusals obtained
0
+
Extradition cases
Defended in Israeli courts
0
+
Years of practice
Extradition Law specialists
0
+
Requesting countries
US, UK, Germany, Russia, and others
Your Legal Team

Extradition Defence Specialists — Israel

DC
Adv. Daniel Cohen
Lead Partner — Extradition Defence

18 years defending extradition cases in Israeli courts. Former State Attorney's Office. Member Israeli Bar Association. Has argued before the Supreme Court on landmark extradition rulings.

ML
Adv. Miriam Levi
Senior Associate — International Criminal Law

Specialises in human rights objections to extradition and ECHR applications. Dual-qualified in Israeli and English law. LLM Hebrew University.

Case Results

Extraditions We Have Stopped

★★★★★

"US extradition request under the 1962 treaty for alleged wire fraud. We successfully challenged dual criminality — the conduct did not constitute an offence under Israeli law. Extradition refused."

IA
Israeli-American executive, Tel Aviv
US extradition · dual criminality challenge · Refused 2024
★★★★★

"EAW from Germany. District Court approved extradition. We appealed to the Supreme Court on proportionality grounds and obtained a stay. Client remains in Israel pending further proceedings."

DC
Dual citizen, Jerusalem
EAW Germany · Supreme Court stay · 2023
★★★★★

"Russian extradition request for our client — a political dissident holding Israeli citizenship. Request refused on political character grounds. Client lives and works freely in Israel."

RJ
Russian-Israeli journalist
Russia extradition · Political grounds · Refused 2024
Extradition — Frequently Asked Questions

Extradition from Israel: Your Legal Rights

Can you be extradited from Israel? +
Yes, but Israeli law provides substantial protections. Extradition from Israel requires a bilateral treaty or specific agreement and is subject to full judicial review under the Extradition Law 5714-1954. Israeli courts examine dual criminality, political character, human rights conditions in the requesting state, and whether the accused is an Israeli citizen. Israeli nationals enjoy additional protections — in most cases Israel will not extradite its own citizens.
Why does Israel not extradite its citizens? +
Israel's traditional policy, rooted in the Extradition Law 5714-1954, is to protect its nationals from foreign criminal justice systems. The law requires Israeli courts to consider whether extradition would violate the principles of natural justice or expose the person to conditions inconsistent with human dignity. For Israeli citizens, courts apply additional scrutiny. The US-Israel treaty (1962, amended 2005) is one of the few that does allow extradition of nationals in certain circumstances.
Is there an extradition treaty between Israel and the USA? +
Yes. The Israel-United States Extradition Treaty was signed in 1962 and significantly amended by a Protocol in 2005. The 2005 amendments expanded the scope of extraditable offences and modified the nationality protection clause. US extradition requests are among the most common we handle for Israeli nationals.
What countries does Israel have extradition treaties with? +
Israel has bilateral extradition treaties with the United States (1962/2005), the United Kingdom (2003), Australia, Switzerland, France, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Turkey, Spain and a number of other countries. Where no treaty exists, Israel may still cooperate on a case-by-case basis, but protections are stronger for the accused.
How long does extradition from Israel take? +
Israeli extradition proceedings typically take 6 to 24 months from first court appearance to final decision, including Supreme Court appeal. In urgent cases — where provisional arrest is sought — we appear within 24 hours. The length depends on the complexity of the challenge, treaty provisions, and court caseload.
Can an Israeli citizen be extradited to Russia? +
Israel and Russia have no bilateral extradition treaty. While Israel could theoretically cooperate on an ad hoc basis, Israeli courts would closely scrutinise any such request — particularly given human rights concerns. In practice, extradition to Russia of Israeli nationals is extremely rare. We have successfully opposed all such requests we have handled.
What happens at the first extradition hearing in Israel? +
At the first hearing before the District Court, the judge will decide on provisional detention or bail. We immediately apply for bail and challenge any unjustified conditions. We also request the full extradition file from the Ministry of Justice and begin preparing formal objections. Acting immediately at this stage is critical — delays in engaging counsel can result in unnecessary pre-trial detention.
Emergency Extradition Defence

Extradition Request Received? Act Within Hours.

Time is critical in extradition proceedings. The sooner you engage specialist counsel, the greater your options. Our Israeli lawyers are available 24/7 for emergency instructions.

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