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Romania: Canadian Court Considers Extradition Of Taiwanese Seamen

Ottawa, 3 September 1996 (NCA/MacIvor) - A Canadian court today begins to consider whether to extradite seven Taiwanese seamen to Romania to face charges of murder on the high seas.

The men -- officers of the Taiwanese container ship Maersk Dubai -- are accused of having forced three Romanian stowaways overboard while at sea. When the ship docked in the Atlantic Canadian port of Halifax in May, crew members told police that they had been forced to watch the incidents.

Romania wants the officers extradited from Canada so they can face murder charges. Taiwan says it should have jurisdiction over the case because the vessel was "floating Taiwanese territory".

The Canadian court can decide only if there should be a trial but cannot decide where it should take place. That would be decided at by the government.