European Forum

Tunisia extradites former Libyan Prime Minister

An appeals court in Tunis on Tuesday November 8th, upheld the decision to extradite former Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi. The extradition request was made by National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya, which Tunisia accepts as the sole legitimate representative of Libya. Amnesty International has warned that Al-Mahmudi might face “real risks” including torture and extrajudicial execution in Libya. The court order needs to be finalized by the interim president of Tunisia, Fouad Mebazaa.
   
Al-Mahmudi served as Secretary of the General People's Committee – a position comparable to prime minister – under Colonel Muammar Gaddhafi between 2005 and 2011. Before that, he served as deputy prime minister for two years and he has had various ministerial posts since 1992. Analysts see him as one of the insiders of Gaddhafi’s regime, but on August the 21st he fled to Tunisia, from which he made a public statement on September 1st that he supported the rebel fighters. He was arrested three weeks later at the Algerian border for entering and exiting the country illegally and was sentenced to six months in prison. Although his sentence was overturned, he remained in prison pending the extradition request.

Al-Mahmudi is said to be fearing for his life ever since the violent death of Gaddhafi. "Mr Al-Mahmudi thinks the time is not right, because the current period of chaos prevailing in Libya is dominated by vengeance," one of his lawyers said. Amnesty International echoed this sentiment in a letter to the Tunisian government urging it not to extradite him. James Lynch, the group’s spokesman for North Africa, said it feared that Mr. Al-Mahmudi would “face real risks, serious human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial execution and unfair trial.”

Sources: Al Arabiya, Al-Jazeera, BBC, New York Times, RFE/RL, TAP, Tunisia Live, Image.