Extradition
The formal legal process by which one country surrenders a wanted person to another country for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
Extradition is governed by bilateral or multilateral treaties and by each country's domestic legislation. A typical extradition process involves a formal request from the requesting state (usually through diplomatic channels), a judicial hearing in the requested state to determine whether the treaty conditions are met, and a political-level decision whether to surrender the person. Common grounds for refusal include: the requested person is a national of the surrendering state; the alleged conduct is not a crime in the surrendering state ('dual criminality'); the charge is political in nature; the person would face the death penalty or torture; or the statute of limitations has expired. Extradition should not be confused with deportation, which is removal on immigration grounds and carries different safeguards.