- News>
Italy to seek extradition of Abbas
Rome, Apr 16: Italy will seek the extradition of Abu Abbas, the Palestinian militant accused of masterminding the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise liner, justice minister Roberto Castelli said today.
Rome, Apr 16: Italy will seek the extradition of Abu Abbas, the Palestinian militant accused of masterminding the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise liner, justice minister Roberto Castelli said today.
The fugitive Abbas was captured in Baghdad Monday by US
special operations forces.
He was sentenced in absentia in Italy to five life terms for his role in the Achille Lauro hijacking, in which an elderly, wheelchair-bound American tourist, Leon Klinghoffer, was murdered and thrown into the Mediterranean.
Justice minister Roberto Castelli said Rome was working to establish which authority it should address the extradition request to.
"We have already asked the Egyptian and Jordanian governments in recent months for the extradition of Abu Abbas, after receiving information that he might be in those countries," he said.
"Now we know that he was captured in Iraq but that he's in the hands of the American authorities. We have to resolve this juridical problem over who to address the extradition request which we will do as soon as possible."
Bureau Report
He was sentenced in absentia in Italy to five life terms for his role in the Achille Lauro hijacking, in which an elderly, wheelchair-bound American tourist, Leon Klinghoffer, was murdered and thrown into the Mediterranean.
Justice minister Roberto Castelli said Rome was working to establish which authority it should address the extradition request to.
"We have already asked the Egyptian and Jordanian governments in recent months for the extradition of Abu Abbas, after receiving information that he might be in those countries," he said.
"Now we know that he was captured in Iraq but that he's in the hands of the American authorities. We have to resolve this juridical problem over who to address the extradition request which we will do as soon as possible."
Bureau Report