Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Bulgaria rejects Egyptian extradition bid

Reuters Africa

A Bulgarian court has rejected an Egyptian request for the extradition of a Lebanese man sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on charges of helping an antiquities thief smuggle artefacts, the man's lawyers said on Monday.

The Egyptian government said last week that the Lebanese man, Ali Aboutaam, had been arrested in Bulgaria in connection with the charges, which led to his conviction in absentia by an Egyptian court in 2004.

But Aboutaam's Swiss-based lawyers, in a statement sent to Reuters on Monday, said that Aboutaam was free in Switzerland.

"Mr Ali Aboutaam is now in Switzerland and is completely free in his movements," said the statement from Geneva law firm Woodtli Levy Pardo and Brutsch.


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1 comment:

David Gill said...

For a statement from Phoenix Ancient Art see Looting Matters.