[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[May 8, 1995]
[Page 658]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Senate Transmitting the Hungary-United States Extradition 
Treaty
May 8, 1995

To the Senate of the United States:
    With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty Between the Government of 
the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of 
Hungary on Extradition, signed at Budapest on December 1, 1994. Also 
transmitted for the information of the Senate is the report of the 
Department of State with respect to this Treaty.
    The Treaty is designed to update and standardize the conditions and 
procedures for extradition between the United States and Hungary. Most 
significantly, it substitutes a dual-criminality clause for the current 
list of extraditable offenses, thereby expanding the number of crimes 
for which extradition can be granted. The Treaty also provides a legal 
basis for temporarily surrendering prisoners to stand trial for crimes 
against the laws of the Requesting State.
    The Treaty further represents an important step in combatting 
terrorism by excluding from the scope of the political offense exception 
serious offenses typically committed by terrorists, e.g., crimes against 
a Head of State or first family member of either Party, aircraft 
hijacking, aircraft sabotage, crimes against internationally protected 
persons, including diplomats, hostage-taking, narcotics-trafficking, and 
other offenses for which the United States and Hungary have an 
obligation to extradite r submit to prosecution by reason of a 
multilateral treaty, convention, or other international agreement. The 
United States and Hungary also agree to exclude from the political 
offense exception major common crimes, such as murder, kidnapping, and 
placing or using explosive devices.
    The provisions in this Treaty follow generally the form and content 
or extradition treaties recently concluded by the United States. Upon 
entry into force, it will supersede the Convention for the Mutual 
Delivery of Criminals, Fugitives from Justice, in Certain Cases Between 
the Government of the United States of America and the Austro-Hungarian 
Empire, signed at Washington, July 3, 1856, with certain exceptions.
    This Treaty will make a significant contribution to international 
cooperation in law enforcement. I recommend that the Senate give early 
and favorable consideration to the Treaty and give its advice and 
consent to ratification.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,

May 8, 1995.