Opinion ID: 512651
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Lawfulness of the extradition under the Treaty.

Text: 7 Oen argues that the district court lacked jurisdiction to order his extradition because the Hong Kong Government has not satisfied requirements of the extradition Treaty. His arguments are based upon Article XII(1) of the Treaty which provides that the party requesting extradition, in this case Hong Kong, shall not extradite the fugitive to a third state. It further provides that after being extradited, the person shall not be charged with any offenses other than the offenses for which the party was extradited. The provision in relevant part reads as follows: 8 [A] person extradited shall not be detained or proceeded against in the territory of the requesting Party for any offense other than an extraditable offense established by the facts in respect of which his extradition has been granted, or on account of any other matters, nor be extradited by that Party to a third State--(a) until after he has returned to the territory of the requested Party; or (b) until the expiration of thirty days after he has been free to return to the territory of the requested Party. 9 Treaty, Article XII(1). The requirement that an individual be tried only for offenses for which extradition has been sought is generally referred to as the principle of speciality. See Theron, 832 F.2d at 496. 10 Oen first contends that if he is extradited and convicted, he may remain incarcerated in Hong Kong beyond July 1, 1997, the date on which full sovereign control over Hong Kong will revert to the People's Republic of China. He argues that if this scenario occurs, he will in effect have been extradited to China, a third state, in violation of the Treaty. 11 Even if Oen does remain in prison in 1997, the reversion of Hong Kong to Chinese authority does not result in an extradition within the meaning of Article XII(1). The Supreme Court long ago defined extradition as the surrender by one nation to another of an individual accused or convicted of an offense outside of its own territory, and within territorial jurisdiction of another, which, being competent to try and to punish him, demands his surrender. Terlinden v. Ames, 184 U.S. 270, 289, 22 S.Ct. 484, 492, 46 L.Ed. 534 (1902). We adopted that definition in Stevenson v. United States, 381 F.2d 142, 144 (9th Cir.1967). Neither deportation nor surrender other than in response to a demand pursuant to Treaty constitutes extradition. Id.; see also Emami, 834 F.2d at 1453-54. Therefore, even if Oen becomes subject to Chinese authority pursuant to a reversion of sovereignty upon cession and termination of the British lease of Hong Kong, he will not have been extradited to China. 12 Oen also contends that if he remains in Hong Kong after the transition to Chinese control, he will become subject to Chinese law and may be prosecuted for additional offenses or be subject to additional penalties in violation of the principle of speciality. He maintains that so long as such a possibility exists, Hong Kong has not met an implied condition in the extradition Treaty that Hong Kong will guarantee no prosecutions by successor governments. We find no support for such an interpretation. 13 The Treaty constitutes commitments between the United States and the United Kingdom on behalf of its Crown Colony. It does not purport to include commitments by successor governments or third states. In re Tang, 674 F.Supp. 1058, 1068-69 (S.D.N.Y.1987). Were the Treaty to be interpreted as Oen asks, extradition to Hong Kong would be the exception rather than the rule because it would be limited in practice only to extraditions for crimes which could be punished for a term expiring before the reversion date. There is no indication that the United Kingdom and the United States had any such intention when they expressly made the Supplementary Extradition Treaty applicable to Hong Kong on January 1, 1988, at a time when the impending reversion was fully understood. See Exchange of Notes of August 19 and 29, 1986, December 23, 1986, and December 31, 1987. 1 14 Oen's contention that Hong Kong has not met the requirements of the Extradition Treaty are groundless; thus, the district court had jurisdiction to determine Oen's extraditability.