Peru

Court of Appeal correctly pointed out that the defence submissions referred to a situation of significant political instability in Peru, but did not in any way substantiate — on the basis of reports issued by reliable organisations — the alleged serious problems of prison overcrowding. In the substantial absence of elements capable of raising doubts as to the risk of being subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, it must be excluded that the Court of Appeal is under an obligation to nonetheless request further information, as this would amount to a merely exploratory activity, not justified by proven elements capable of undermining the principle of mutual trust between States. This principle is grounded in the treaty-based nature of extradition agreements, which are founded on a relationship of mutual confidence and reliance between States. Accordingly, the domestic judicial authority is required to seek additional information only where that presumption of reliability is called into question on the basis of concrete elements, which may also be derived from open sources, provided they are deemed reliable. Therefore, in the absence of any element capable of giving rise to suspicion that the conditions of detention would not comply with human rights standards, no general duty to request further information or assurances can be invoked, as this would undermine the very principle of mutual trust underpinning extradition treaties. Moreover, in the case law of this Court, there are no recent precedents establishing that detention conditions in Peru are incompatible with the protection of human rights.

The case concerned a request by Peru for the extradition of a Peruvian national accused of drug trafficking for allegedly attempting to export cocaine to the United States. The requested person challenged the extradition decision arguing that the general human rights situation in Peru, including prison overcrowding, poor detention conditions, corruption within institutions, and concerns regarding judicial independence, exposed her to a real risk of inhuman or degrading treatment. The Italian Supreme Court of Cassation held that the Court of Appeal had failed to adequately address the detailed submissions and international reports produced by the defence, including reports from Amnesty International and the Italian Embassy. The Court reiterated that, even in the presence of a bilateral extradition treaty, Italian courts must conduct a concrete assessment of detention conditions in the requesting State and, where necessary, seek additional information. The extradition decision was therefore annulled and remanded for a new assessment.