"A Latvian citizen cannot be extradited to foreign states, except in cases provided for by international treaties approved by the Saeima, if the extradition does not violate the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Satversme," states Article 98 of the Constitution of Latvia. And here are the exceptions!
On the Long Road
Last week, the deadline for the approval of the draft Law on the Extradition of Latvian Citizens to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland expired in government institutions. Now it is time for the Saeima to have its say.
As indicated in the annotation, the initiator of the innovation is the Ministry of Justice, headed by Inese Lībiņa-Egnere ("New Unity"). "The draft law takes into account the current legal situation and the opinion of competent authorities involved in international legal cooperation in criminal matters regarding the possible extradition of Latvian citizens."
Moreover, they intend to extradite detainees based on... the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and the United Kingdom. The annotation states that the process is mutual, and British citizens can also be sent to serve their sentences in Latvia. Although now Foggy Albion is no longer part of the EU, a special legal mechanism has been created for this.
London Demands Sacrifices
But London also leaves itself a loophole: "The United Kingdom has repeatedly stated that it may extradite its citizens if the courts of the United Kingdom, after conducting an assessment, deem the requests for extradition admissible." As for Latvians, it seems they have finally annoyed London: "The issue of cooperation on extradition matters was raised by competent British authorities, who have repeatedly contacted the responsible authorities of the Republic of Latvia regarding the extradition of Latvian citizens to the United Kingdom for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed there. Competent UK institutions reported that some wanted persons, who are believed to be in Latvia, have committed particularly serious crimes. The possibility that these individuals may evade punishment is incompatible with the restoration of justice and can often pose a threat to public safety."
Full of People
British law is significantly different from the continental system, it is further noted in the Ministry of Justice document – and therefore it will not be possible to simply transfer the court materials to Latvia. There have already been precedents where "difficulties related to different understandings of the criteria for proving and transferring evidence were identified in the context of the transfer of criminal cases." So the simplest solution has been found – law enforcement agencies in Latvia will capture their own citizens and extradite them to the United Kingdom!
Meanwhile, the prison system in the United Kingdom is on the brink of disaster: institutions are overcrowded, and there is a shortage of qualified personnel. Parliamentary committees and independent experts warn that without radical changes, the country's judicial system may collapse in 2026. According to the Public Accounts Committee, the prison system in England and Wales has been operating under conditions of 98–99.7% occupancy in recent years. The committee points out that at a load level above 95%, the system cannot function adequately.
Non-citizens of the United Kingdom make up, according to the Migration Observatory of the University of Oxford as of June 2025, 12.4% of inmates in prisons in England and Wales.
