Legal Definitions - political-offense exception

The political-offense exception is a clause in extradition treaties or legislation that limits a country's responsibility to extradite individuals who have committed political crimes. This means that if a person is accused of a political crime in one country and seeks refuge in another country, the second country may refuse to extradite them back to the first country.

For example, if a political activist is accused of organizing a protest that turned violent in their home country and seeks asylum in another country, the second country may refuse to extradite them back to their home country if they believe the charges are politically motivated.

The political-offense exception is a standard provision in almost all extradition treaties around the world and is also explicitly provided for in the domestic laws of many countries. This exception is important because it protects individuals from being persecuted for their political beliefs and activities.