Tunisia to extradite ex-Libyan PM
Tunisia will extradite former Libyan prime minister Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi - currently being held in Tunis – back to Libya, officials said today.
Justice ministry official Mondher Bedhiafi said Al-Mahmoudi’s extradition will take place in the coming weeks.
Al-Mahmoudi was arrested in September in southern Tunisia for crossing the border, en route to Algeria, without permission from Tunisian authorities.
Several international organisations including Human Rights Watch have spoken out against the extradition because of the perceived risks involved.
Al-Mahmoudi was the last head of government under former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed last year.
Libya has been clamouring for the repatriation of Al-Mahmoudi to answer for his actions as Libya’s prime minister under Gaddafi.
“Tunisia will never be a refuge for those who represent a threat to Libya’s security,” said Tunisian prime minister Hamadi Jebali after a visit by his Libyan counterpart Abderrahim El-Kib.
Al-Mahmoudi’s lawyers as well as human rights groups opposed his extradition, saying he might be harmed by the rebels who overthrew Gaddafi last year.
Officials from the former regime have not fared well in the hands of the rebels, with Gaddafi and one of his sons being executed last year.
