# Kendra W can be extradited to US, judge rules

> A judge in The Hague has rejected her bid to block extradition to the United States, where she fears the death penalty or a life sentence without parole.

Society · published 2026-10-30 18:21 · https://nlnow.nl/a/court-rules-us-murder-suspect-kendra-w-can-be-extradited/

The civil judge (kortgedingrechter) in The Hague ruled on Friday that murder suspect Kendra W may be extradited to the United States. The court saw no need to impose a ban on extradition.

W contested the extradition because she fears the death penalty or a life sentence without the chance of early release in the US.

The court ruled that “the State does not act unlawfully by the extradition”. It said there is no need to wait for extra guarantees from the United States about the death penalty, and it sees no “real risk” that W will be sentenced to death, according to the ruling.

On the life sentence, the court found that W did not sufficiently show she faces life without the possibility of release.

The Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) had earlier ruled that W could be extradited.

## Background

- **Hoge Raad**: The Hoge Raad is the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the highest court for civil, criminal and tax cases. It rules on points of law (cassation) and generally does not retry the facts, which are settled by the lower courts. Its rulings set the final interpretation of Dutch law, including on extradition requests.

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