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Spanish court releases Saddam Hussein lawyer

Other News Materials 16 February 2011 15:44 (UTC +04:00)
Spain's National Court has ordered the release of an Italian lawyer who was part of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's defence team, judicial sources said Wednesday.
Spanish court releases Saddam Hussein lawyer

Spain's National Court has ordered the release of an Italian lawyer who was part of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's defence team, judicial sources said Wednesday.

Giovanni Di Stefano, 55, was held on Monday in Palma de Majorca. A British court accuses him of 18 crimes including embezzlement and fraud, DPA reported.

Di Stefano presented himself as a lawyer in Britain, without having been authorized to exercise as such, embezzling clients between 2004 and 2009, the British court said.

Spain's National Court ordered Di Stefano's release for health reasons while he was waiting to be operated at a Palma hospital. He was due to be extradited to Britain later on.

Di Stefano attributed his arrest to political reasons, pointing out that he had backed eventual court proceedings against former prime minister Tony Blair over the Iraq war.

Di Stefano is known for having represented notorious defendants including Saddam, several of his collaborators as well as British train robber Ronald Biggs.

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