...

Tunisia hands former Gadhafi PM over to Libya

Arab World Materials 30 June 2012 12:43 (UTC +04:00)

Libya's most recent prime minister under the regime of deposed dictator Moammar Gadhafi was in Libyan custody on Sunday after extradition from Tunisia, a Libyan justice official said CCN reported

Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi was handed over to prison officials in Tripoli, said the official, who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Al-Mahmoudi was arrested in September near Tamaghza, near Tunisia's border with Algeria. At the time, the Tunisian interior minister said he had entered Tunisia illegally without a visa. The ministry said he was attempting to cross into Algeria at the time of his arrest. A decision to sentence him to six months in prison was later overturned on appeal.

Al-Mahmoudi is the first high-level Libyan official to be sent back for trial.

In November, a Tunisian court rejected a request to release al-Mahmoudi and decided to extradite him despite arguments from his defense team that the lack of stability in Libya means he would not have a fair trial, according to Tunisian state news reports.

Human Rights Watch also called on Tunisia to halt al-Mahmoudi's extradition, saying the former premier is expected to face "a real risk of toruture."

Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for nearly 42 years, was toppled in a civil war last year and killed after several months in hiding.

Tags:
Latest

Latest