Israel police arrested Mexican writer and former diplomat Andrés Roemer on Monday following multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault against him in his home country.
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The State Attorney Office's International Affairs Department petitioned the Jerusalem District Court for Roemer's extradition to Mexico based on a request from the South American nation from 2021. After the court granted approval, the 59-year-old former ambassador to UNESCO was detained by police.
Roemer is the author of 16 books and two plays and has also served as a presenter, creator and producer of numerous television programs. According to the petition to extradite him, Roemer committed serious sexual offenses against five women. The offenses against two of the women have already passed the statute of limitations in Israel.
According to the extradition request, Roemer invited the women to his home under the pretense of a job interview, taking advantage of his senior position in the media to allegedly sexually assault and rape them. Over 61 women in Mexico have come forward alleging that Roemer sexually assaulted or raped them.
In 2016, while serving as Mexico's ambassador to UNESCO, Roemer advocated for a re-vote on UNESCO's resolution denying the connection between Judaism, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. Despite his efforts, the re-vote didn't materialize, and he was subsequently summoned to Mexico for clarification regarding his actions.
The Israeli ambassador to UNESCO at the time, Carmel Shama Hacohen, shared a photo on his Facebook page of himself with Roemer in a sukkah. He praised Roemer for his "courageous stance and integrity," adding, "I was touched by your decision to leave the room during the vote, choosing to abstain rather than vote against your conscience."
After being elected mayor of the central city of Ramat Gan in 2018, Shama Hacohen advocated for naming a street in the city in Roemer's honor. "[Roemer] deserves it. I'd be proud to live on a street named after someone who stood up for Israel and faced consequences for it," he told Ynet in 2019.
After the allegations against Roemer surfaced, residents of Ramat Gan expressed their outrage and demanded that the street's name be reverted to El Al St.