Israeli court approves extradition of Mexican ex-diplomat accused of rape
Roemer, who served as Mexico's consul-general in San Francisco and ambassador to UNESCO, was arrested in Israel last year following extradition requests filed by Mexico in 2021
An Israeli court ruled on Thursday that former Mexican diplomat Andres Roemer, accused of sexual abuse and rape in one of Mexico's high-profile #MeToo cases, is extraditable.
According to Reuters, the decision paves the way for Roemer to be sent back to Mexico to face the charges against him.
Roemer, who served as Mexico's consul-general in San Francisco and ambassador to UNESCO, was arrested in Israel last year following extradition requests filed by Mexico in 2021. Despite denying the allegations leveled against him, the Israeli court deemed him eligible for extradition.
Typically, extradition orders require approval from Israel's justice minister before they can be executed. However, the Justice Ministry has yet to provide clarity on when this approval might be granted.
In the interim, the Jerusalem District Court has mandated that Roemer be placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet, as outlined in the ruling seen by Reuters.
The accusations against Roemer emerged after more than 60 women in Mexico came forward with allegations of sexual assault, leading to his arrest in Israel on October 2, 2021.
Roemer vehemently denies the charges, stating, "I have never raped, assaulted, threatened, or used any type of violence against any woman," in a statement issued last year.