ITALY: LAWYER FOR LONDON TERROR SUSPECT EXPLAINS WHY HE WANTS TO FIGHT EXTRADITION.

Record ID: 352068

  • Title: ITALY: LAWYER FOR LONDON TERROR SUSPECT EXPLAINS WHY HE WANTS TO FIGHT EXTRADITION.
  • Date: 2nd August 2005
  • Summary: (W4) ROME, ITALY (AUGUST 1, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LAWYER FOR ISSAC ADUS HAMDI, ANTONIETTA SONNESSA IN OFFICE 2. JOURNALIST 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) SONNESSA SAYING: "Probably the reason that he decided to refuse extradition is understandable, naturally because he's worried that in a country where for the right reason, for human
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2IRQXQ2UXX2BQSVCTXZTLUJA
  • Story Text: Hamdi lawyer explains why he wants to fight
    extradition, adding he never meant to kill.



    Lawyer for Issac Adus Hamdi said on Monday (August
    1) it was understandable Hamdi was trying to resist
    extradition to the United Kingdom.

    "Probably the reason that he decided to refuse
    extradition is understandable," Antonietta Sonnessa, a
    court-appointed lawyer, said in an interview. "Naturally
    because he's worried that in a country where for the right
    reason, for human reason, and for understandable reason,
    there is at this moment big tension. It's natural that he
    would prefer to be processed in another country."
    Sonnessa wants Hamdi - also known as Osman Hussein - to
    be tried in Italy, away from the hot-house atmosphere in
    Britain following the attempted attacks of July 21, and the
    actual attacks two weeks earlier, which killed 56 people.

    Hamdi was charged with "association with international
    terrorism" and possessing false documents earlier on Monday.

    The Italian charging process is not the same as in the
    UK, however, and it was immediately unclear whether the
    move would lead to further legal tussles and delays to
    British attempts to extradite him.

    Earlier on Monday, an Italian police chief said he was
    confident the suspect would be sent back to the UK quickly.

    Sonnessa said Hamdi has told her his actions in London
    was not intended to kill.

    "He said that (the attack) was just something
    demonstrative, done only for intimidation," she said, in
    protest at harassment of Muslim women following the attacks
    of 7th July.

    "His protest is obviously against murder in the world,
    the murder of innocents, all the wars in the world, but not
    to kill innocents," she added.

    British authorities are trying to get Hamdi back under
    a European Arrest Warrant. The process only became
    effective in Italy last Thursday (July 28) and is intended
    to bring the average length of extradition down from nine
    months to 45 days.


    XAXA
    LATIN-FINAL-AUG01-FINAL:
    LATIN-FINAL-AUG01-FINAL



    FINAL RUNDOWN FOR LATIN REPORT AT 2010GMT MONDAY, AUGUST
    01, 2005

    1. ARGENTINA: GARZON 01/08
    NAT/SPAN RTRS
    2.25
    2. BRAZIL: ROBINHO 31/07/FILE
    NAT/PORT RTRS/TV GLOBO 1.14
    3. SPAIN: BATISTA
    01/08 NAT/SPAN RTRS
    2.55
    4. MEXICO: EXPLOSION 01/08
    NAT/SPAN TELEVISA 1.26
    5. ARGENTINA: BODY PAINTING 30/07/REC
    NAT/SPAN RTRS 4.29
    6. CHILE: SAFE SEX 30/07/FILE
    NAT/SPAN RTRS/VNR 3.12

    COMMENTS: NONE

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