Russia, UAE sign interstate agreements on extradition, mutual legal assistance

ABU DHABI, November 25. /TASS/. Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika on Tuesday signed interstate agreements on the extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office spokesperson, Marina Gridneva, told TASS. UAE Justice Minister Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi signed the agreement. “Under the agreement, the parties oblige to extradite persons for bringing to trial or for enforcing a sentence for crimes leading to the extradition,” Gridneva said. Crimes should be punishable in both countries by imprisonment of no less than a year, she said. The draft agreements were coordinated after the three rounds of consultations in 2009, 2011 and 2014. Chaika also called for signing an agreement on cooperation between the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and the UAE Justice Ministry. Under the agreement, the parties will hold consultations in the field of extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. He said, "In the last years Russia and the UAE have stepped up the joint work on the extradition and mutual legal assistance. Earlier, we acted on the mutual basis. Now a legal base has been created." Chaika also said the positive example of cooperation with the UAE "will facilitate the expansion of relations between Russia and the countries of the region". He noted "good relationship with the Kingdom of Bahrain, active cooperation with Qatar and possible contacts with Saudi Arabia". Chaika is completing the visit to the UAE to attend the 19th Annual Conference and the General Assembly of the International Association of Prosecutors that ended in Dubai on November 23-25. Over 500 prosecutors from 156 world countries took part in the events. The IAP was created as a non-political and non-governmental organisation in June 1995. At present, it includes over 250,000 prosecutors from more than 150 states. The IAP was founded to prevent the growth of transnational crime: drug trafficking and money laundering. Read more