Jordan and Morocco on Friday signed an extradition agreement covering wanted individuals facing criminal prosecution or custodial sentences, reflecting the “deep” relations between both countries and their commitment to enhancing legal and judicial cooperation.
The signing ceremony took place in Morocco, where the agreement was signed by Minister of Justice Bassam Talhouni and his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.
The agreement falls within the framework of both nations' keenness to develop their existing judicial and legal cooperation system and establish more effective mechanisms to combat crime.
Such efforts include the extradition of fugitives wanted for prosecution or to serve custodial sentences issued by competent judicial authorities in accordance with domestic legislation and applicable legal controls in both kingdoms.
Following the ceremony, Talhouni stressed that Jordanian-Moroccan relations are “deeply rooted and historical”, with foundations laid by His Majesty the late King Hussein and the late King Hassan II of Morocco.
"Today, thanks to the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah and his brother His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this step represents an important milestone in the journey of cooperation," Talhouni said.
He added that the treaty provides a more effective legal framework to organise extradition procedures, contributing to achieving justice, combating crime, and preventing impunity.
Talhouni noted that enhancing international judicial cooperation has become a necessity in light of the rapid evolution of crime, emphasising the importance of clear legal frameworks that ensure procedural effectiveness while upholding the rule of law and established legal guarantees.
For his part, Ouahbi highlighted the importance of the agreement in bolstering judicial cooperation, noting that it represents a “qualitative” addition to the network of bilateral treaties governing legal and judicial affairs between the two kingdoms.
Ouahbi said that the agreement reflects a shared will to step up coordination in combating all forms of crime, supporting justice efforts, and boosting security and the rule of law.
Under the agreement, both sides will cooperate in extraditing wanted individuals in accordance with national legislation, applicable legal controls, and relevant international obligations.
On Saturday, Talhouni also discussed ways to bolster judicial and legal cooperation and exchange expertise in two separate meetings with President of the Moroccan Public Prosecution Hicham Belaoui and President of the Moroccan Constitutional Court Amin Benabdallah.
Discussions focused on sharing the best practices in combating cross-border crime and streamlining joint procedures between competent judicial authorities.
During the meetings, the minister commended Morocco's achievements in developing its justice sector, emphasising the value of capitalising on successful Arab models and fostering knowledge transfer to drive continuous judicial reform.