International Criminal Law
Legal assistance in matters relating to extradition procedures, European Arrest Commands, Interpol Red Notices, international arrest orders, and cross-border crime investigations in connection with Germany.
International crimes are often complicated affairs. A case may get complicated just a moment after the very beginning due to the involvement of different legal systems, jurisdictions, and languages. For example, an individual can be arrested in Germany on the basis of a foreign request even if he/she is in the middle of a certain process in another country. Moreover, there are many means of starting a case—from the alert of police to the execution of an international arrest order.
Our team of lawyers specializing in international criminal cases will help you understand what is going on and what you should do next. We will examine the request for extradition, European or international arrest orders, as well as Interpol Red Notices and the mechanisms of international legal aid and assistance. The specificities of each case will be looked at through the realities of the exact moment of the case and the jurisdiction where your case is.
Who We Represent
The international criminal law services that we offer are for individuals, family members, witnesses, victims, and companies involved in a case with an international element that connects Germany and another country.
Persons who have been apprehended at a border crossing, at an airport, following a traffic stop, in their residences, or workplaces due to a European Arrest Warrant, extradition request, international arrest warrant, or an international police notice.
People who are being investigated by a foreign prosecutor or a tribunal with a case that can affect their residency status, employment, property, immigration position, and travel while in Germany.
German and foreign citizens whose extradition from the EU or non-EU countries is currently reviewed, and also relatives who need information about the status and progress of the case.
Individuals who are summoned as witnesses in connection with a German or international criminal case and who are trying to understand their right not to respond to some questions or other legal safeguards available to them.
Victims who would like to exercise their rights within criminal proceedings, receive assistance as a witness, become a civil plaintiff, or file civil claims that arise from a crime.
Businesses, directors, managers, and employees can find themselves in need of international criminal law if they are subject to search or seizure procedures, requests for mutual legal assistance, measures regarding assets, or any other situation involving multiple jurisdictions.
Structure for Complex Cases
When a cross-border criminal case is initiated, potential defendants often do not know which alert has been issued, which authority is responsible, or whether there have been any movements for extradition or surrender. Legal assistance at this stage can turn documents into proper order, clarify legal issues related to the case, and help prepare for further proceedings.
The phrase “international arrest warrant” can cover various forms of constraints. There can be some cases that could involve a national arrest warrant, a European Arrest Warrant, a Schengen alert, an Interpol Red Notice or other requests issued by police organizations internationally.
Legal Approach: Make a review of the details provided in the alerts, the authority, the offense, the relevant court ruling, and the stage of the available procedures.
After the arrest on the territory of Germany, the court hearings concerning the provisional extradition detention will follow shortly. The Higher Regional Court in charge will then have to determine whether the detention is legally justified.
Legal Approach: Determine the basis for the detention, prepare for the court hearing, think of possible objections, and analyze the possibility of applying less strict measures.
The European Arrest Warrant plays a key role in the cooperation of the member states of the EU in the field of criminal law. The German competent authorities study the content of the European Arrest Warrant, documentation supporting it, as well as the applicable legal provisions, before handing over the person.
Legal Approach: The European Arrest Warrant must be examined thoroughly in light of the alleged offense, the document itself, possible justifications for refusal of extradition, as well as the circumstances of the person concerned.
The extradition request from states that are not members of the EU must be processed in accordance with German law, bilateral or multilateral agreements, as well as existing humanitarian law principles.
Legal Approach: The principles of the extradition law applicable to the situation, as well as the documents of the request, barriers, or necessary confirmations, must be analyzed.
The authorities of foreign countries can apply to Germany with several requests, e.g., interviewing persons, searching premises, seizing materials, delivery of documents, their transfer, provision of measures related to property, or other measures of international cooperation in the field of criminal law.
Legal Approach: Recognize the international proceedings pertaining to this matter and address whatever German, European, or international procedural rules would apply.
A police summons or written notification of a hearing can exert pressure to reply without delay, but without knowing the substantive allegation and available evidence and any international aspect, the statement in question could affect proceedings in Germany and elsewhere.
Legal Approach: Before making any further submission to the police/public prosecutor or court, ascertain if the individual has the status of a suspect, witness, or aggrieved person.
Issues of human rights may play a separate role in the context of extradition. Issues of concern may include prison conditions, persecution for political reasons, the death penalty, trials conducted in absentia, and absence of access to a fair trial.
Legal Approach: Establish the particulars of the risk with reliable and case-specific evidence and assess the situation under German law, the European Convention of Human Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and relevant international treaties.
Legal Orientation
When one takes into consideration the alert that was given, the process of extradition, the investigation behind the incident, and the unique situation of the defendant there is a higher likelihood of successfully overcoming international criminal procedures.
The review contains information as to whether it is an European Arrest Warrant, any domestic extradition procedure, Interpol Red Notice, Schengen Information System alert, or any alternative way of international legal cooperation.
The appropriate courts, public prosecutors, authorities for approval, law enforcement agencies and other foreign agencies are determined in order to ensure that hearings, statements and procedural time frames are managed properly.
Depending on the situation at a particular moment specific questions that can arise include the issues of identity, absence of any extradition papers, principle of dual criminality and also such notions as statute of limitations, double jeopardy, trial in absentia, specialty as well as particular issues relating to human rights.
When it comes to taking procedural steps, both domestic and foreign procedures should be seen as part of a single process. This way one can avoid contradictory statements, and it is possible to make information coming from different jurisdictions easier to organize.
Legal issues can be discussed in a language that the client understands well enough to express themselves. This way the foreign documents, translations, court documents, and procedural correspondence can be arranged depending on their role in the case.
Legal assistance can start well before the arrest, and its processes can go on throughout the first court session, extradition or surrender process, and collaboration with the defense counsel in the state that sent the inquiry.
Our Legal Approach
Vera Zambrano & Associates was established in Berlin-Charlottenburg and is dealing with issues of international character. In the sphere of international criminal law, the company is providing assistance in extradition matters, European and international arrest warrants, Interpol issues, and cross-border investigations.
The work of the company includes application for the European and international arrest warrants as well as extradition processes and criminal cases involving Germany and the USA and other countries.
One specific situation will combine the issues of German criminal law, EU legal regulation, law of the state that raises the request, legal rules on extradition, and general international human rights law.
If necessary, the legal procedures may be coordinated with foreign lawyers dealing with criminal law issues, law enforcement bodies, embassies, interpreters, and other people.
In addition to German, English, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian and Ukrainian, the firm also employs certified translators when necessary in cases where the documentation is in another language.
The company does not operate exclusively with the accused party. Persons who might be convicted and witnesses are also entitled to legal help offered by the company.
All the police documentation, like arrest warrants or police investigations, is organized in a chronological order and referred to the required German or international procedures.
The legal strategy is drawn based on the documents, legal position, and client’s goals. Further steps, available legal options, and any other necessary information are communicated in layman’s terms.
Your Legal Contact
A lawyer by profession, Vera Zambrano is a founding member and lead attorney practicing in the Berlin-Charlottenburg region. In her career, she has been admitted to the profession for over 5 years, since 2017, on the date of her admission to the Berlin Bar Association. She has accumulated a wealth of experience in working on matters of both German laws and international legal aspects.
Attorney Vera Zambrano
With her firm providing representation in cases involving different jurisdictions, she also ensures that justice is served through careful management of clients’ correspondence with different international entities. In addition to being a lawyer, she also holds the position of a lecturer at the Berlin School of Entrepreneurship and Law.
Vera Zambrano has been practicing law in Berlin-Charlottenburg since 2017, providing legal assistance to different clients involved in cases with elements of international law.
The law firm has been providing various kinds of legal help to its clients, including cases that include clients from Germany and international jurisdictions.
Communication takes place in seven languages used in law firms, in addition to certified translators in situations when it is necessary to use a different language.
Coordination with lawyers and experts from Germany, the USA, and various jurisdictions of relevance depending on the needs of each individual case.
This service page looks into international criminal law in regard to criminal cases that cross borders of different countries. These may consist of extradition cases, arrest warrants from European countries or Interpol, legal assistance between nations, and investigations by more than one nation. It should not be confused with international criminal justice, which deals with genocide crimes or war crimes as well as crimes against humanity.
The European Arrest Warrant refers to a judicial document used in order to get people in jail between EU countries. In Germany, the process of issuing the warrant is in accordance with European law and the German law on international cooperation in criminal matters. The warrant should state the name of the person wanted, the initiating country, and the reason for the document.
The term “international arrest warrant” cannot be interpreted as a single uniform legal instrument. An Interpol Red Notice is an international request to find a person and—if permissible by national law—arrest him/her temporarily for extradition purposes. A red notice is by no means an international arrest warrant, and the authorities of Germany determine what constellation it has in the country.
Once a person is arrested in Germany, he/she has to appear in front of the court. Thus, a higher regional court would take over the case of extradition proceedings. The public prosecution representative and relevant authorities would take part in the process depending on how advanced the case is.
The various challenges to extradition requests are generally dependent on the case, offense, and involved countries. This situation typically gives rise to certain issues like missing documents, mistaken identity, time limitation, double jeopardy, judgment in absentia, political persecution, imposition of death penalty, peculiarities of incarceration conditions, or any other human rights problems.
Extradition detention refers to the measure aimed at providing the presence of the person whose extradition has been requested. In Germany, an order for provisional extradition detention or extradition detention may be issued by the Higher Regional Court provided the legal grounds are satisfied. It is necessary to examine the reasons for which the detention of a person is justified in every individual case.
Simplified extradition occurs whenever the person requested to extradite agrees to the extradition after a judge has described the consequences. According to German law, consent cannot be later withdrawn. Hence, the implications of the decision, such as the possibility of giving up certain guarantees, should be considered by the person before giving consent.
The rule of specialty restricts a requesting state’s prosecution abilities in respect to acts that occurred previously and were not mentioned in the extradition decision. The German law has defined special rules applicable to extradition processes and the cases of issuing a European arrest warrant.
The first thing to do is find out whether the person is being reached as a person being investigated, a witness, or a person impacted. In some cases, it is better to check the particular charge and any details about the case prior to making any comments regarding the charge. A person who is involved in the case as a witness is in another position than the person being charged.
Extraditions between Germany and the U.S. belong to the series of international criminal measures undertaken by this law office. The basic processes for extradition depend on many factors, such as criminal activity, nationality of the person to be extradited, location of the person in question, and whether any objections can be raised against extradition.
It is true that witnesses are entitled to consult a legal practitioner in case they believe giving testimony might lead to incriminating themselves or simply in case they need explanation regarding their rights and their obligations during legal proceedings. Victims can ask for legal advice concerning protecting their rights, their possible role as a separate prosecutor, and the consequences of the crime from the civil law perspective.
The important documents are an arrest warrant or notice, a police summons, a written summons to the trial, a court ruling, extradition documents, correspondence from foreign authorities, and any existing translations. A brief chronological chronology will also be helpful. After detention, it is important to inform about the location of the detained person and the body that carried out the arrest.
Confidential Contact
In short, briefly explain if the case concerns the arrest, a European or international arrest warrant, a letter of the Interpol, an extradition, a police summons, a notice in writing about the hearing, or a foreign criminal investigation. If available, submit the document of the court or a formal letter with a brief summary of what happened.
