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ethnic origin or political opinion or that compliance with the request would cause prejudice to that person’s position

for any of these reasons.

2 Nothing in this Convention shall be interpreted as imposing an obligation to extradite if the person who is

the subject of the extradition request risks being exposed to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or

punishment.

3 Nothing in this Convention shall be interpreted either as imposing an obligation to extradite if the person

who is the subject of the extradition request risks being exposed to the death penalty or, where the law of the

requested Party does not allow for life imprisonment, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, unless

under applicable extradition treaties the requested Party is under the obligation to extradite if the requesting Party

gives such assurance as the requested Party considers sufficient that the death penalty will not be imposed or,

where imposed, will not be carried out, or that the person concerned will not be subject to life imprisonment

without the possibility of parole.

Article 22 – Spontaneous information

1 Without prejudice to their own investigations or proceedings, the competent authorities of a Party may,

without prior request, forward to the competent authorities of another Party information obtained within the

framework of their own investigations, when they consider that the disclosure of such information might assist

the Party receiving the information in initiating or carrying out investigations or proceedings, or might lead to a

request by that Party under this Convention.

2 The Party providing the information may, pursuant to its national law, impose conditions on the use of such

information by the Party receiving the information.

3 The Party receiving the information shall be bound by those conditions.

4 However, any Party may, at any time, by means of a declaration addressed to the Secretary General of

the Council of Europe, declare that it reserves the right not to be bound by the conditions imposed by the Party

providing the information under paragraph 2 above, unless it receives prior notice of the nature of the information

to be provided and agrees to its transmission.

Article 23 – Signature and entry into force

1 This Convention shall be open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe, the European

Community and by non-member States which have participated in its elaboration.

2 This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance

or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

3 This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of

three months after the date on which six Signatories, including at least four member States of the Council of

Europe, have expressed their consent to be bound by the Convention in accordance with the provisions of

paragraph 2.

4 In respect of any Signatory which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by it, the Convention

shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the

date of the expression of its consent to be bound by the Convention in accordance with the provisions of

paragraph 2.

Article 24 – Accession to the Convention

1 After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, after

consulting with and obtaining the unanimous consent of the Parties to the Convention, may invite any State which

is not a member of the Council of Europe and which has not participated in its elaboration to accede to this

convention. The decision shall be taken by the majority provided for in Article 20.d of the Statute of the Council

of Europe and by the unanimous vote of the representatives of the Parties entitled to sit on the Committee of

Ministers.

2 In respect of any State acceding to the convention under paragraph 1 above, the Convention shall enter

into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of deposit

of the instrument of accession with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.