BOSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court opened the way on Saturday for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan in the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn.
Judge Stephen Breyer denied an offer to suspend extradition to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to appeal their case, defying US authorities’ plans to hand them over to Japan.
Michael Taylor, a US Army Special Forces veteran, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese automaker for two decades, to flee the country last year with Ghosn hidden in a private jet box. . The flight was first to Turkey and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship, but has no extradition treaty with Japan.
Taylor’s lawyers argue that men cannot be extradited legally and will be treated unfairly in Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a petition filed on Friday that the men would face severe treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system.
“The issues raised by the petitioners deserve complete and careful consideration, and the risks are enormous for them. The minimum that US courts owe petitioners is a complete chance to litigate these issues, including the exercise of their rights of appeal, before they are handed over to the fate that awaits them in the hands of the Japanese government, ”wrote their lawyers.
US officials said they would not hand over the men to Japan while their proposed suspension was pending before Breyer, said a Taylors lawyer.
Michael Taylor said in an interview with the Associated Press that he feels betrayed that the United States is trying to hand him over to Japan after his service to the country. Taylor declined to discuss the details of the case due to the possibility of being tried in Japan, but insisted that his son was not involved.
The US Circuit’s 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston on Thursday refused to suspend extradition, concluding that the Taylors are unlikely to be successful on the merits of their case. The Taylors have been locked up in a Boston suburban prison since their arrest last May.
Ghosn was released on bail at the end of his escape and awaiting trial on allegations that he underestimated his income and committed a breach of trust by diverting money from Nissan for his personal gain. Ghosn said he fled because he could not wait for a fair trial, was subjected to unfair terms of detention and was prevented from meeting his wife on bail. Ghosn denied any wrongdoing.