A U.S. federal court on Thursday rejected an appeal to avoid the extradition of two men to Japan to face charges for allegedly helping former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee the country.
The decision came after the State Department approved in October Tokyo's request to hand over the two men -- Michael Taylor, a 60-year-old former Green Beret, and his 27-year-old son Peter Taylor, both of whom were arrested in the United States in May.
The Taylors' lawyers immediately appealed the ruling by the court in Massachusetts to a higher court in Boston.
They had claimed the Japanese government would torture the Taylors.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying the prison conditions in Japan may be "deplorable" and the criminal procedures that the Taylors may face may not satisfy "American notions of due process."
But Talwani also said their allegation warrants extradition, according to the report.
Ghosn has claimed that he was detained for a long time under severe conditions in Japan and fled the country to escape what he called a "rigged" justice system.
According to court documents, the Taylors allegedly helped Ghosn, arrested by Tokyo prosecutors in 2018 and later released on bail, to sneak out of Japan in December 2019 by hiding inside a large box.
Ghosn has remained in Lebanon, where he spent his childhood, after fleeing there via Turkey. Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon.
Ghosn, who headed Nissan for nearly two decades, was supposed to face trial in Japan on allegations that he misused company funds and understated his remuneration by billions of yen over multiple years.
Related coverage:
Lebanon yet to begin probe into Ghosn's escape: top prosecutor
U.S. OKs Japan request to extradite men for aiding Ghosn's escape
Japan protests U.N. panel's criticism of past detention of Ghosn
