OREANDA-NEWS. April 28, 2008. The purpose of the treaty is to regulate Russian-Angolan relations concerning the extradition of persons for criminal prosecution or the serving of a prison sentence.

Ratification of the treaty is aimed at strengthening the international legal framework of Russian-Angolan cooperation in combating crime, including drug trafficking and terrorism, as well as to protect the rights and legal interests of Russian citizens.

The treaty stipulates that the parties undertake on a reciprocal basis and subject to the conditions set forth in the agreement the extradition of persons for criminal prosecution or the serving of a sentence.

In accordance with the agreement, extraditable offences are understood to be acts which, according to the laws of both parties, are criminal and punishable by imprisonment for no less than one year or more serious punishment.

The treaty contains other rules, as stipulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation, for example, a refusal to extradite a person if the offence for which extradition is requested is punishable by the death penalty, unless the requesting party will provide sufficient guarantees that a person subject to such extradition would not receive the death penalty.

The treaty establishes the requirements for a request for extradition and includes a list of annexed documents.

The treaty also features rules concerning the fundamental rights and freedoms of the person and the citizen. For example, in accordance with the agreement, a person may be temporarily detained pending the submission of the request for his extradition; if within 60 days from the date of taking custody of the person the requesting party has not submitted an extradition request, the person  must be released.

The treaty was signed in Moscow on 31 October 2006.