On 4 May, the High Court of Cassation and Justice in Romania will make a final decision on the extradition to Russia of a Chechen woman, Amina Gerikhanova. In 2016, she left Chechnya for Ukraine taking her toddler son to flee from political persecution. They lived in Ukraine until early March 2022, when they were forced to flee Russia’s invasion. Amina Gerikhanova was detained at the Romanian border based on Russia’s extradition request and separated from her eight-year-old son. On 18 April, the Suceava Court of Appeal authorised Amina Gerikhanova’s extradition to Russia. Her appeal on that decision is pending. If extradited, Amina Gerikhanova will face a real risk of torture or other ill-treatment. The Romanian authorities must reject the extradition request and grant her international protection.
