UAE: Federal Supreme Court approves extradition of French national Mahdi Charfa to France

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Federal Supreme Court has approved the extradition of Mahdi Charfa, a French national, to France.

The court verdict follows a request from the French authorities, who sought Charfa's extradition on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

The ruling comes after Charfa exhausted all legal avenues in the UAE and is in line with the extradition treaty signed between the UAE and France on May 2, 2007.

The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal initially approved the extradition, but Charfa appealed the decision. In a session held on January 14, 2025, the Federal Supreme Court rejected his appeal and upheld the extradition order.

This decision underscores the UAE's commitment to collaborating with international partners in the fight against global crime.

Extradition agreement

The extradition agreement with France is part of the UAE’s broader strategy to strengthen its legal and judicial cooperation, with over 45 similar treaties signed with various countries in recent years. The UAE continues to work toward signing additional agreements to enhance global crime-fighting efforts.