Amnesty International urges Marzouki not to handover Baghdadi

Amnesty International in Tunisia has urged President Moncef Marzouki not to agree to extradite Libyan former Premier Baghdadi Mahmoudi to Libya. In a statement addressed to civil society organizations, it warned that handing over Baghdadi would risk having him subjected to torture or extrajudicial execution. The Tunisian President confirmed, in his visit to Libya, that Mahmoudi is currently being prosecuted in Tunisia, and that once the Tunisian trial adjourns, he would be handed over, granted that Tunisia is given the guarantee of a fair impartial trial in Libya. Amnesty International stated however that they observed several human rights violations in Libya, including those committed by armed militia groups opposing Muammar Gaddafi’s regime since February 2011. It further stated that all those who committed human rights violations should be put on trial; however, ithe human rights organisation is opposed to extraditions of individuals to countries where their life would be threatened. Authorities in Tunisia, including the Justice Ministry, confirmed they would not extradite any individual to a country where there is risk of subjecting them to torture or violation of human rights. Amnesty in Tunisia called on the authorities to investigate the allegations of the involvement of Baghdadi in serious human rights violations, stressing that if enough evidence was provided for his involvement in criminal acts, he would be brought to justice while ensuring the international criteria for a fair trial would be upheld. Meanwhile, Mahmoudi’s defense criticized the Tunisian President’s speech about the extradition of their client, considering it “out of place”, and eliminating the possibility of handing over Baghdadi to the new Libyan authorities. Such developments coincide with the call by Baghdadi’s defense, Bashir Sayd, to release Mahmoudi, who is currently in a Tunisian prison. Sayd said, in a previous statement to ‘Arabstoday’ that Mahmoudi’s prison warrant has expired, thus, according to him, his imprisonment is illegal. Mahmoudi was arrested on September 21 on Tunisia's southwestern border with Algeria and jailed for entering the country illegally.