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High court denies accused Ghosn smugglers’ bid to stay in US

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The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the extradition of an American father and son wanted by Japan at the escape of former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn

Justice Stephen Breyer denied a bid to place the extradition on hold to give Michael and Peter Taylor time to pursue a charm in their case challenging the U.S. officials’ plans to hand them over to Japan.

Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son are accused of helping Ghosn, who led the Japanese automaker for 2 years, flee the nation last year with Ghosn tucked away in a box on a private jet. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but that has no extradition treaty with Japan.

Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men can not legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly from the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the guys would face harsh treatment from the Japanese criminal justice program.

“The problems raised by petitioners merit careful and full consideration, and the stakes are enormous for them. The very least the U.S. courts owe the petitioners is a full opportunity to litigate these problems, including exercising their appellate rightsbefore they are consigned to the fate which awaits them in the hands of the Japanese authorities,” their lawyers wrote.

U.S. police had said they wouldn’t hand the men over to Japan while their bidding for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said.

Michael Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press that he feels betrayed the U.S. would attempt to turn him over to Japan after his service to the nation. Taylor refused to discuss the particulars of the situation due to the risk he could be tried in Japan, but he insisted that his son had no participation.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston refused Thursday to place the extradition on hold, discovering that the Taylors are unlikely to be successful on the merits of the case. The Taylors have been locked up at a suburban Boston jail since their arrest last May.

Ghosn was out on bond at the of his escape and awaiting trial on allegations he underreported his income and also committed a breach of trust by deflecting Nissan cash for his private profit. Ghosn said he fled because he couldn’t expect a reasonable trial, was exposed to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from fulfilling his spouse under his bail requirements.