Dutch court blocks Egyptian's extradition to US
A Dutch court blocked the extradition to the United States on Wednesday of a man with Dutch and Egyptian nationality suspected of links to al Qaeda, citing insufficient guarantees over the suspect's basic rights.
The Hague court confirmed a preliminary finding, voicing concerns the suspect could be subject to sweeping presidential powers enacted after the September 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks allowing suspects to be detained indefinitely without charge. The man, whose name was withheld by the court, is suspected of telecommunications fraud with the aim of facilitating contacts between al Qaeda operatives. "The risk that the petitioner will be confronted with suspicions of involvement in the al Qaeda network is certainly not imaginary," the court said in the preliminary finding in August. "This gives sufficient reason to believe that with regard to him, fundamental legal guarantees -- such as direct, unlimited and undisturbed contact with a lawyer and timely access to a judge -- could be threatened." The court upheld this ruling on Wednesday, saying a U.S. diplomatic note was not specific and insufficient. In the note, cited in the judgment, the U.S. embassy in The Hague said it viewed the request for guarantees as unwarranted and unnecessary.
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