ALGIERS,
July 24 (IslamOnline.net) - Algeria and Italy signed an agreement
whereby Italian authorities would hand over to Algiers 1500 Algerian
detainees, including several sentenced to death in absentia in Algeria
over involvement in “terrorist activities.”
Italian
Justice Minister Roberto Castelli and his Algerian counterpart Mohammed
Charfi inked on Tuesday, July 22, agreements on criminals extradition
and judicial cooperation in the civil, commercial and criminal fields,
reported the Algerian La Tribune newspaper Wednesday July
23.
It
paper pointed that the extradition agreement provides for the handing
over Algerian extremists arrested in Italy over the past years and who
had been sentenced to death in absentia by Algerian courts after
indictment in terrorist activities.
According
to the agreement, Algerian journalist Gamal el-Weneisi, who had been
slapped a death sentence back home, would be among those handed over by
Italy, added the newspaper.
It
said the Italian authorities accuse him of forming small groups to offer
logistic support for militant groups in Algeria.
Refugees
Threatened
La
Tribune reported that other Algerian
political asylums affiliated to Algerian Islamic groups would also be
eligible to extradition.
After
signing the agreements with Castelli, the Algerian justice minister said
they at remedying legal vacuum, adding they pertain to exchanging
information and handing over criminals wanted by any of the two
countries.
The
United Nations agreement on the status of refugees, ratified by 140
world countries, bans their extradition in case their lives are
threatened back home or they would be persecuted by the authorities
there.
