A New Zealand court has stopped a man accused of murder from being extradited to China, at least for now, due to concerns he could be tortured.

The long-running case represents the first time China has tried to extradite a suspect from New Zealand, and the Court of Appeal said Tuesday the issues in the case were difficult. It concluded torture is illegal in China but remains widespread in its criminal justice system.

The court ruled New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little must reconsider whether Kyung Yup Kim should be extradited.

Kim, a Korean citizen who moved to New Zealand 30 years ago, is accused of killing a 20-year-old woman in Shanghai in 2009.

Kim was arrested in 2011 and spent five years in jail before being released on bail.