[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Guardian

Lauchenoiria refuses to extradite Xiomeran citizens wanted for running media operation
18th July 2019

Foreign Minister Sandra Pavía today refused to extradite two Xiomeran citizens in Lauchenoiria, after the Lauchenoirian government was sent arrest warrants, demanding their detention and extradition. Warrants were also sent to Laeral and Zamastan for several individuals in those nations. The wanted Xiomerans are journalists for the Xiomeran Underground News (XUN), a media outlet banned by the autocratic Xiomeran government. Many XUN journalists are based outside of Xiomera for this reason.

Pavía called the Xiomeran attempt to extradite the two journalists based in Lauchenoiria as “clearly politically motivated”, and made assurances that Lauchenoiria would never extradite any individuals wanted for political purposes. “The so-called ‘crimes’ these Xiomerans are accused of have no equivalent under Lauchenoirian law, and therefore the Federation of Lauchenoiria has no choice but to refuse Xiomera’s extradition request. The two Xiomeran citizens in Lauchenoiria will remain free to continue their activities.”

Pavía gave the two XUN journalists further assurances that they are safe in Lauchenoiria, and that the Lauchenoirian government would make no attempt to prevent their activities, as long as they followed Lauchenoirian law. Freedom of the press is protected under various pieces of legislation in Lauchenoiria. However, this was not respected during the Chaher/Clarke regime last year, with current President Alex Marwick being hunted by the regime for making pro-Resistance broadcasts last year.

Green Party leader Lucie Scott welcomed the decision of the government to refuse extradition, saying that “criticism of a government is only healthy, whether that is our government, Xiomera’s, or any other”. She praised the XUN journalists for having the courage to stand up for their beliefs, in spite of their government’s policies towards them. “If Alvarez was to extradite these journalists, it would be a betrayal of everything she has purported to stand for,” she said.