The Court of Appeal of Malta has rejected an extradition request from Romania for Prince Paul Philippe Al Romaniei, citing concerns over potential inhuman or degrading treatment due to Romanian prison conditions. According to the judgment delivered by Judge Edwina Grima, the court considered several factors, including the age, health, and special status of Al Romaniei. The judgment stressed that Al Romaniei, a member of the Romanian royal family recognized as an heir in 2012, could be subjected to harsh conditions at Bucharest-Rahova prison, which has previously faced accusations of human rights violations. Read more details of the judgment here.
Prince Paul Philippe Al Romaniei, aged 75, left Romania in 2020 after being found guilty of falsely claiming ownership of real estate near Bucharest. He was sentenced to three years and four months of imprisonment but initially managed to avoid extradition from France. In France, the Paris Appeals Court ruled the extradition request was politically motivated. His arrest in Malta earlier this year followed a European Arrest Warrant still in effect. Initially, Malta’s Magistrate Leonard Caruana also refused the extradition, with the reasoning that it could breach Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This decision was later overturned on appeal, but Judge Grima’s latest judgment revokes this order. More on the French court decision here.
Romanian Minister of Justice, Alina Gorghiu, criticized the Malta court’s decision, calling it “an outrageous decision” and indicated plans to propose a diplomatic response to this perceived violation of a Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling. For Romanian perspectives on this development, see the local news coverage here.
This decision continues a chain of legal battles across Europe regarding Al Romaniei’s extradition, reflecting ongoing controversies surrounding the treatment and rights of individuals with politically sensitive profiles.