Israeli mining magnate Steinmetz awaits Greek court ruling on arrest warrant

Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz has been freed from custody in Greece but banned from travelling outside the country as he awaits a court ruling on a Romanian-issued arrest warrant, police and legal sources said Monday.

Steinmetz was detained by Greek police on Sunday evening, hours after arriving on a private aircraft at Athens International Airport, police sources said.

A European arrest warrant has been issued against him on behalf of Romania on accusations related to participation in a criminal organisation, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

On Monday, the 68-year-old appeared before a prosecutor who decided that he should be freed on bail, with restrictions including a travel ban, as he awaits a judicial panel’s decision on his arrest and extradition.

In 2022, a Greek court which examined his case based on a Romanian-issued arrest warrant against him, had ruled against his extradition.

Steinmetz’s legal advisors have dismissed the Romanian authorities’ accusations as “unfounded” and called the extradition requests by Romania “abusive”, arguing that he has the right to travel freely.

His lawyer in Greece, Stavros Togias, said that Greek judicial authorities have ruled irrevocably against his extradition to Romania.

“It is unprecedented for the rule of law in Greece, or any other respected country, for such an administrative act to overturn a decision of the Greek judiciary, which had definitively and irrevocably ruled against his extradition to Romania, recognizing his right to travel freely,” Togias said in a statement, commenting on his arrest.

In November 2023, Cyprus’ Court of Appeal ruled against Steinmetz’s extradition to Romania, overturning a lower court ruling. A court in Italy has also rejected a similar extradition request by Romania against Steinmetz.