Extradition laws face first test
Scotland Yard has confirmed it is trying to get suspected London bomber Hussain Osman returned to Britain under a new fast-track extradition law.
The European arrest warrant, which was only implemented in Italy last Thursday, is part of a drive to tackle cross-border crime within the EU and aims to speed up the extradition of those wanted by authorities in other member states.
However, Italian court-appointed lawyer Antonietta Sonnessa has said the process to extradite her client, also known as Hamdi Isaac, could last two months, with legal tussles likely to delay procedures.
Osman, 27, is fighting the proceedings to return him to Britain, having fled immediately after the failed July 21 terror attacks, in which police believe he was responsible for the botched attack on a tube train at Shepherd’s Bush underground station.
The Ethiopia-born suspect was apprehended after mobile phone calls were traced to his brother’s flat in the Italian city, officials have said.
The remaining three suspected bombers are currently being questioned by police in London over simultaneous attempts to blow up tube trains at Warren Street and Oval underground stations and a number 26 bus in Shoreditch, east London.
Meanwhile, Italian police have said that the man does not have any wider links to large international terrorist groups.
The head of the Italian anti-terrorist force, Carlo De Stefano, said: “Investigative evidence gathered so far does not support the theory that there are links with other investigations in Italy into Islamist terrorism, nor with terrorist organisations active in our country.
“The behaviour of Osman, as documented by investigations carried out in Italy, lead to it being thought probable that he belongs to an ad-hoc group rather than a structured organisation.”
