Germany blocks extradition of al-Qaida suspect
Nicholas Watt in Brussels and Krysia Diver in Stuttgart, The Guardian, July 19, 2005
The pan-European fight against terrorism was thrown into crisis yesterday when Germany's highest court blocked the extradition of a suspected al-Qaida financier to Spain after rejecting an EU arrest warrant.
Mamoun Darkazanli, who has been charged in Spain with belonging to al-Qaida, walked free after the federal constitutional court ruled that the warrant was incompatible with the German constitution.
The ruling immediately raised doubts about the controversial EU arrest warrant which is opposed by eurosceptics but valued by many governments in the fight against terrorism. The warrant, one of the main counter-terrorism measures introduced in the wake of the September 11 attacks, is intended to give EU member states the right to extradite citizens charged with serious offences.
The pan-European fight against terrorism was thrown into crisis yesterday when Germany's highest court blocked the extradition of a suspected al-Qaida financier to Spain after rejecting an EU arrest warrant.
Mamoun Darkazanli, who has been charged in Spain with belonging to al-Qaida, walked free after the federal constitutional court ruled that the warrant was incompatible with the German constitution.
The ruling immediately raised doubts about the controversial EU arrest warrant which is opposed by eurosceptics but valued by many governments in the fight against terrorism. The warrant, one of the main counter-terrorism measures introduced in the wake of the September 11 attacks, is intended to give EU member states the right to extradite citizens charged with serious offences.
posted by Gordon Stables | 6:41 PM
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