The most relevant decisions on extradition and the European arrest warrant (June 2026)

In Rugu and Aucroix, the CJEU clarifies what must happen after an executing State refuses an EAW because surrender would expose the person to detention conditions contrary to Article 4 of the Charter. Refusal of surrender is no longer the end of the matter.

Three years after Liu, European courts are increasingly treating extradition to China as a structural Article 3 problem, not as an ordinary cooperation file. This post maps the emerging case law, Spain’s exceptional reliance on Chinese assurances, and Beijing’s renewed efforts to keep extradition channels open.

Italy refused Brazil’s (first) extradition request for Carla Zambelli, not because of her Italian citizenship or the political nature of the case, but because the conviction to be enforced raised a serious doubt about judicial impartiality.