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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Al-Qaeda extradition case postponed |
| 2004-11-19 |
| The extradition hearing of suspected Al Qaeda member Ibrahim Ali Abubaker Tantoush was postponed yet again in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court today. The matter was delayed because no presidential permission for his extradition to Libya had been obtained. Because South Africa has no extradition treaty with Libya, presidential permission must be obtained before a person can be sent to that country for trial. South Africa, where the death penalty is unconstitutional, cannot extradite people to another country for trial if they face being put to death. A Justice Department official at the court said the decision on extradition would not be made until an assurance that Tantoush would not be executed was received. Tantoush will appear again on May 17 next year. He is on R8,000 bail in South Africa pending the outcome of the extradition proceedings. He faces charges in Libya of stealing gold to fund Al Qaeda activities, but was arrested in Pretoria in February for allegedly being in possession of a fake South African passport. Tantoush's bail conditions were relaxed today, allowing him to report to the Brixton police station once rather than twice a month. He was reminded to stay away from airports and harbours, as in his original bail conditions. Today's postponement was the fourth delay in the extradition proceedings. Earlier this year, 702 Eyewitness News reported that Tantoush was a suspected Al Qaeda operative, alleged to have stolen large amounts of gold in 1985 to fund Osama bin Laden. He has also allegedly attended various Al Qaeda training camps. Tantoush reportedly denied the claims at the time, saying Libya wanted to punish him for his role in a student uprising in the late 1980s. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |