Law enforcement agencies in Russia are corrupt, act on hints from those in power, and have repeatedly been observed pursuing their own economic interests. In such circumstances it is hard to place confidence in extradition requests from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. Extradition is a most important international legal institution but Russia has frequently used it to carry out an unlawful vendetta against individuals.

Even when Russia’s requests observe all the formal requirements (which is far from always the case) those who approve the return of a suspect to his home country have no guarantee that they will not find themselves complicit in that individual’s persecution. It is very likely that he will not have access to a qualified and independent court and instead, under the guise of a judicial procedure, will be unjustly condemned.

In this context there can be no “straightforward” cases of extradition to Russia. Charges that an individual has committed grave crimes against others may be used as a screen for seizing someone’s business, aided by corrupt law enforcement officials. Accusations of economic crime are often made by the Russian authorities as a way of attacking their political opponents.

Each Western official who has dealings with Russia on issues of extradition must be aware that much depends on his or her decision. Every time the question arises the life of a particular individual is put at risk, as are the life and health of his family and loved ones.

On his return to Russia such an individual comes face to face with an inhuman system that pays no regard to any of his constitutional rights. He may die in a pre-trial detention centre for want of elementary medical care, as was the case with lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Beatings by interrogators may leave a witness crippled if he does not agree to give the testimony they want. That is what happened to Antonio Valdez-Garcia, a Spanish citizen, who was being questioned about the Yukos case. People may be convicted twice on the same charges. An example is the criminal prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.

Extradition, in our view, should lead to a fair trial and judgment on the basis of the facts and not result in the total denial of justice to the individual. Acquittals account for less than one per cent of verdicts in Russian courts, however, and are almost regarded by judges as something exceptional.

For all these reasons we are calling for a moratorium on the examination of Russian extradition requests by the European Court of Human Rights. Any other response, in our view, will involve Western judicial bodies in processes for which there is no possible assurance of a fair outcome.

The Russian government has abused, and continues to abuse, the procedures laid down by international agreements on extradition and legal cooperation, the Interpol system and other multilateral conventions against international crime, in order to persecute innocent people – its political opponents, those whose property is coveted or has already been seized by officials, or simply people against whom the government bears a grudge.

We call on all countries of good will to develop mechanisms, at the international and national levels, that will protect their own legal systems and international legal cooperation from abuse by the Russian authorities. Until these are in place a total moratorium should be imposed on all forms of legal cooperation with Russia, including requests for extradition, legal support, and help through Interpol.

You may sign the appeal to your government, using our website or by any other means.

We propose this emergency measure in the sincere hope that the legal nihilism rampant in Russia’s law enforcement and judicial systems will soon be brought under control. Then we shall be able to return to full cooperation with the European Union on matters of extradition.

Signed by: