Will Dubai extradite alleged Kinahan associate Sean McGovern

Ireland could be in for a long hall as they push for the extradition of Sean McGovern from Dubai

Ireland executed an extradition treaty with the UAE in hope of securing the prosecution of Daniel Kinahan and those close to him. With Sean McGovern’s arrest in Dubai, Irish politicians are hoping for some wins.

Interpol and extradition expert and CEO of Detained in Dubai, Radha Stirling, warns the process may not be as straightforward as Ireland hopes.

“Although extradition has a lawful basis, the decision as to whether to extradite someone largely comes down to political motivation and quid pro quo deals, balanced against the influence of the particular individual wanted for extradition.

“If the target is well connected in Dubai, the chance of extradition is minimised.

While Ireland may want this individual, there may be pressure to cooperate with UAE requests that would potentially put Irish citizens at risk of human rights violations.

“The UK has denied extraditions to the UAE on the basis of the ‘real risk of human rights violations, unfair trials and torture’ and Ireland needs to consider this before any deals are made. Some extraditions from the UAE have been swift and facilitated with little warning while others have been wholly denied and this largely depends on political motivations.

“The UAE has been accused of providing safe haven to wanted persons while others have been flown out in the middle of the night without due process. We are seeing more and more cooperation with Western nations but at what cost? Whatever deals Ireland is doing with the UAE to push through the Kinahan extraditions should be closely scrutinised as they could directly impact the safety of Irish citizens.

“The UAE has denied South Africa’s relentless pressure to extradite the Gupta Brothers and the arrest and processing of McGovern does not guarantee his ultimate extradition. Most countries take four months to several years to finalise rulings so Ireland could be in for a long haul”.

Stirling notes that extraditions have been denied by Dubai for a lack of evidence and for procedural or other technical breaches by the requesting nation.

Ms Stirling founded the organisation IPEX (Interpol and Extradition) Reform and is an expert witness in extradition cases as well as Interpol Red Notice prevention and deletion. She's been a leading voice against Interpol abuse for over 16 years.

Radha Stirling

CEO at Detained in Dubai

+44 7 309 114 195