BOSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday paved the way for the extradition of a U.S. father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn.
Judge Stephen Breyer denied an attempt to derail the extradition to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to appeal in their case, and disputed US officials’ plans to hand it over to Japan.
Michael Taylor, a veteran of the U.S. military, 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 in a private car. plane was hidden. The flight went first to Turkey and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
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 be treated badly.
‘The issues raised by applicants deserve a full and thorough consideration, and the interests are enormous for them. At least the U.S. courts owe the plaintiffs 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, ‘their lawyers wrote. .
U.S. authorities have said they will not hand over the men to Japan while a Taylor’s lawyer waits for Breyer.
Michael Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press that he feels betrayed that the US will 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 1st 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 locked up in a suburban jail in Boston since their arrest last May.
Ghosn was on bail when he escaped and was 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.