The U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday paved the way for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn.
Judge Stephen Breyer denies an attempt to stop the extradition, to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to file an appeal in their case challenging U.S. officials’ plans to hand them over to Japan.
Michael Taylor, a veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese carmaker for two decades, flee the country last year with Ghosn in ‘ a box was squeezed into a private plane. The flight is to Turkey and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
Ghosn was on bail at the time, awaiting trial on allegations that he reported his income too little and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain.
Ghosn said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subject to unfair conditions in custody and that under his bail conditions he could not meet his wife. Ghosn denied any wrongdoing.
Lawyers for the Taylors allege that the men could not be extradited legally and that they would be treated unfairly in Japan. Their lawyers said in a letter to the Supreme Court on Friday that the men in the Japanese criminal justice system would receive serious treatment.
“The issues raised by petitioners need to be considered carefully and thoroughly, and the interests for them are enormous,” their lawyers wrote.
“The least that the U.S. courts owe the petitioners is a full chance to resolve these issues, including the exercise of their rights of appeal, before being handed over to the fate that awaits them by the Japanese government.”
U.S. authorities have said they will not hand over the men to Japan while a Taylor’s lawyer waits for Breyer.
Michael Taylor told the Associated Press he felt betrayed that the US would try to surrender to Japan after his service to the country. Taylor declined to discuss the details of the case due to the possibility that he could be tried in Japan, but he maintained that his son had no involvement.
The first U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston on Thursday refused to stop the extradition, finding that the Taylors are unlikely to be successful because of their case. The Taylors have been held in a Boston suburb since May last year.