A Maltese man who is being extradited to the United States where he is wanted for criminal proceedings related to paedophilia and violent indecent assault on children, primarily an 11-year-old girl, yesterday filed an appeal claiming that extraditing him to the US was in breach of his rights.

Last Friday, a Magistrates’ Court ruled that Lewis Muscat, 56, should be extradited to the US. Muscat is wanted in the United States for 18 counts of allegedly abusing a number of under-age children, including an 11-year-old girl who he allegedly abused for three years.

In his appeal, Muscat’s defence counsel Chris Soler argued that the crimes for which Mr Muscat is being sought in the US are not extraditable and his client, he said, should not be sent to the US to face these charges. He said the fact that the charges brought against his client are crimes in Malta did not necessarily mean that they were offences in California too.

Dr Soler also argued that his extradition would violate his rights to a fair trial, his right to privacy and the right to obtain an effective remedy.

Senior Counsel to the Republic Donatella Frendo Dimech is leading the prosecution while Dr Soler and legal procurator Noel Bianco are representing Muscat.