Greek Court Blocks Extradition of James Dalamagas

The Patras Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday afternoon (July 22) that James Dalamagas, also known as Jim Dalamagas, should not be extradited to Australia. The decision, reached after a marathon session lasting approximately eight to nine hours, halts — at least for now — the Australian authorities’ extradition request.

The 56-year-old Greek-Australian national was wanted in connection with the 1999 murder of a fellow Greek man in Sydney. Dalamagas was arrested in June 2026 in Aigio, a town in the Achaea region of the northern Peloponnese, where he had reportedly lived for years under a false identity. He was subsequently released on restrictive terms pending the Court of Appeals’ decision.

A central argument from the defence was that the offence is barred by the statute of limitations under Greek law, whereas homicide carries no such time limit in Australia. This issue had been a key focus throughout the proceedings.

With Wednesday’s ruling, the Patras Court of Appeals rejected the Australian request, marking a notable development in one of the more prominent recent cases of international judicial cooperation.

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.