Benny Steinmetz, the so-called “King of Diamonds,” will not be extradited to Romania, according to the Criminal Division of the Greek Supreme Court, which overturned a contrary decision by the Athens Court of Appeals that had ruled in favor of his extradition in execution of the European Arrest Warrant.

The Athens Court of Appeals, in its decision No. 12/2025, had rejected all the arguments put forward by Benny Steinmetz to avoid extradition to the neighboring country and had ordered his arrest and temporary detention under the restrictive condition of remaining in a hospital until the day of his extradition to the Romanian authorities.

In his appeal to the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeals’ decision, Steinmetz argued that his conviction in Romania was driven by intense anti-Semitism and political persecution.

He also claimed that his extradition to Romania would result in inhumane or degrading treatment due to the prison conditions in the neighboring country.

Additionally, he argued that his trial in Romania had not been preceded by the required swearing-in of a Romanian judge, which violated his right to a fair trial.

The Israeli and French citizen Benny Steinmetz was arrested on October 13, 2024, at Athens International Airport, in accordance with the European Arrest Warrant issued on January 12, 2021, by the Criminal Court of Appeal of Brașov. The warrant sought to enforce a five-year prison sentence imposed on him in June 2019 for fraud and forming an organized criminal group. The 69-year-old Steinmetz had been temporarily residing in a hotel in Vouliagmeni. In his appeal, he referenced his activities in Romania.