The extradition of prince Paul-Philippe al Romaniei to Romania will not go ahead, after the Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the Court of Magistrate's decision to uphold the request.

The 77-year-old had fled Romania in 2020 after a dubious conviction for trading in influence.

In a decision handed down on Monday morning, Madam Justice Edwina Grima declared that were the European Arrest Warrant to be executed against him, and therefore were he to be returned, his fundamental human rights would be at risk.

It was on this basis that the Court of Criminal Appeal refused to enforce the EAW.

Al Romaniei had been sentenced to three years and four months in prison in Romania over the restitution of Bucharest properties to him, which the authorities in Romania claimed that he had made a false claim of ownership for.

He subsequently moved to Paris, where he had successfully contested a similar extradition request before the French Courts, but had been arrested in Malta while attending an international ceremony organised by the Knights of St. John.

Al Romaniei was assisted by lawyers Jason Azzopardi, Kris Busietta and Alessandro Farrugia.