拒絕引渡

暫時忘記傷感的事, 我速讀了新西蘭上訴庭撤銷引渡韓裔居民KYUNG YUP KIM往大陸一案的判詞。兇殺案發生在2009年, Kim被指在上海殺害20歲女子Pei Yun Chen, 中國公安依賴科學鑑證及環境證供來尋兇。中國在2011年向新西蘭尋求引渡, 承諾一經定罪也不會判處被告死刑。新西蘭與中國大陸並沒有簽訂引渡協議, 但新西蘭的引渡條例容許與沒簽訂引渡協議的國家以個案方式處理引渡安排。(There is no extradition treaty in force between New Zealand and the PRC. However, Part 5 of the Extradition Act allows extradition on an ad hoc basis to countries with which New Zealand does not have an extradition treaty. ) 新西蘭當局拘押了Kim, Kim一直抗拒引渡。本案經歷了兩次司法覆核, 最終司法部長同意引渡, 被告繼而上訴, 判詞在6月11日頒佈。上訴庭批准上訴, 擱置了引渡決定。

被告提出8大上訴理由, 8個理由再分出小項, 有些成立有些被駁回。長話短說(判詞共99頁) , 獲批的原因主要有幾個:

1) 未能確保大陸具足夠人權保障,

2) 沒足夠保證被告不會受酷刑對待(因為酷刑存在、難以偵察, 施行酷刑而獲取的證供法庭往往會接納),

3) 未能確保被告不會遇到司法以外的殺害(extra judicial killing),

4) 未能確保被告會獲公平審訊(司法不獨立; 面對政治凌駕審訊影響程序公義; 辯護保障不足; 律師害怕秋後算賬而未能盡力抗辯)。

我中文(包括英文)表達能力差, 只能夠三言兩語寫出判詞的梗概, 若對以上理據看不順眼, 別找我嘔氣, 冤有頭債有主, 飛去新西蘭找法官理論。

當然在報章看到有人以此案來評論香港正在爭論得勢不兩立的逃犯條例, 指出這是大陸法治不彰而致申請引渡失敗的例子。這樣講其實只講出部份事實, 因為這引渡案還未完結, 上訴庭對司法部長發出指引, 若可以向大陸尋求多方面進一步保證和承諾, 這引渡未必不可能進行。

The Minister of Justice must reconsider the issue of Mr Kim’s surrender. In particular, the Minister should address the following matters:

(a) Whether the general human rights situation in the PRC suggests that the value of the human rights recognised under the ICCPR and the Convention against Torture are not understood and/or valued, and further, if they are, whether the rule of law in the PRC is sufficient to secure those rights.

(b) The Minister is to make further inquiry as to whether murder accused are at high-risk, or higher risk, than the notional ordinary criminal.

(c) The Minister should not treat the fact that Mr Kim will be tried in Shanghai, the stage of the investigation, or the strength of the case against Mr Kim as reducing the risk of torture, unless further inquiries provide a sufficient evidential basis for proceeding on that basis.

(d) In assessing the effectiveness of the assurances to address the risk of torture, the Minister must address such evidence as there is that:
(i) torture is already against the law, yet persists;
(ii) the evidence is that practice of torture in the PRC is concealed and that its use can be difficult to detect;
...

(還有很多, 不想盡錄)

當然, 若果這種引渡聆訊在香港法庭處理, 法官有沒有膽量指責大陸法治的各種不端呢? 抑或阿爺拍心口保證, 特區政府就拍板回應, 是個不能鴕鳥的問題。這憂慮皆因從屬關係不能對等視之而起。