Beny Steinmetz, the Israeli mining magnate, was convicted for his role in a scheme to acquire land once owned by Romania’s former monarchy illegally.
On January 28, 2025, a Greek court ruled in favor of Steinmetz’s extradition to Romania, confirming an earlier decision by the Athens Court of Appeals. Greek authorities and Steinmetz’s legal team revealed the ruling, though Steinmetz remains hospitalized and cannot be arrested for the time being. His lawyer, Stavros Togias, stated that an appeal had been filed with Greece’s Supreme Court.
Togias further criticized the decision, highlighting that it contradicted the Court of Appeals’ earlier ruling in 2022 on the same case and extradition request from Romania. He also noted that the latest decision went against the prosecutor’s recommendation.
The extradition order adds another chapter to Steinmetz’s lengthy legal battle. In 2020, Romania’s highest court convicted him for his involvement in a complex operation to illegally obtain land that had previously belonged to Romania’s exiled monarchy. The conviction led to a European arrest warrant.
Greece and Cyprus refused to extradite Steinmetz in the past, citing Romania’s poor prison conditions. Additionally, Interpol had rescinded its arrest warrant against him. However, after arriving in Athens on a private flight from Tel Aviv last October, Steinmetz was detained at the airport under a European arrest warrant. However, he was released after posting a €5,000 bail.
While residing temporarily in Greece, Steinmetz has been prohibited from traveling until the court’s final decision.
In addition to the Romanian case, Steinmetz is facing legal troubles in Switzerland. In 2023, he was convicted of bribing Guinean officials to secure mining rights. He was sentenced to three years in prison but appealed the decision. A lower Swiss court rejected his appeal in November 2024, prompting Steinmetz to take the case to Switzerland’s highest court.