Israeli court rules Mexican ex-diplomat accused of rape extraditable

Andres Roemer, a former consul-general to San Francisco and ambassador to UNESCO, was arrested in Israel last year following extradition requests filed by Mexico since 2021. He has denied the allegations against him. Generally, Israel's justice minister must sign off on extraditions before they can be carried out.

An Israeli court on Thursday ruled that a former Mexican diplomat who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape in one of his home country's most prominent #MeToo cases is extraditable. Andres Roemer, a former consul-general to San Francisco and ambassador to UNESCO, was arrested in Israel last year following extradition requests filed by Mexico since 2021. He has denied the allegations against him.

Generally, Israel's justice minister must sign off on extraditions before they can be carried out. The Justice Ministry did not immediately say when that might happen. For the time being, Jerusalem District Court ordered Roemer placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet, according to the ruling seen by Reuters. (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Mark Porter)