True Left

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's top court on Wednesday ruled a man can be extradited to China to face a murder charge — a landmark judgment that goes against the trend set by most democratic nations.

In a 3-2 decision, the Supreme Court found that China was able to give New Zealand officials sufficient assurance that the accused, Kyung Yup Kim, could get a fair trial and wouldn't be tortured.

Concerns over those issues have been enough to stop most democratic countries from extraditing suspects to China in recent times. Like many other nations, New Zealand doesn't have a formal extradition treaty with China.

The decision is sure to be celebrated by China's ruling Communist Party as not only a legal victory but also a diplomatic and public relations success.