NEW YORK: A US federal appeals court Thursday rejected an emergency petition to block the extradition of two men to Japan for allegedly helping former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee to Lebanon.

The defense team for Michael Taylor, a former US Army special forces soldier, and his son, Peter, said the two could be sent to Japan as early as Friday and argued that the transfer should be blocked while a trial over their extradition was in process.

The court in Boston said the defense failed to demonstrate that blocking the transfer is reasonable.

The Taylors are accused of helping the escape of Ghosn to Lebanon in late 2019 while he was on bail awaiting trial in Japan over his alleged financial misconduct.

US authorities detained the two in May last year at the request of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. The office asked the United States to turn them over under the two countries’ treaty on the extraditions of criminals.

The Department of State agreed to extradite the suspects to Japan after a federal district court gave approval.

The suspects filed the emergency petition after a federal district court decision last month to turn down their request for an injunction against the transfer.

JIJI Press