Moslem Extradition? Am I Missing Something?

[Drusilla]

I've just read on the BBC website that Babar Ahmad, a British citizen, may be extradited to the US under the terms of the ExtraditionTreaty of 2003, but I can't understand why. If he is being accused of inciting terrorism on his website, why isn't he being charged and prosecuted here? If he'd actually been to the USA and behaved in this manner, I could understand the extradition, but I can't find any evidence he was there. Are there any legal brains available on AB who can explain this to me? It seems mighty unfair!

[stevie_c2it]

A quick (therefore possibly inaccurate) answer, the websites in question were hosted by servers in the US. Hence the Americans prior claim to prosecute.

[jake-the-peg]

Possibly more pertinant - but you have to dig through a lot of hype to get this information is that he is accused of being in possession of secret American documents describing US Naval vulnerabilities.

Worrying though because there is a principal that Britain will not extradite if the subject could face the death penalty.

This would seem to violate that principal

[derekpara]

Principle, Jake, not principal. Sorry to be pedantic, but pricipals don't take kindly to being violated !

[Drusilla]

Thank you for the info. jake. I had no idea that he had accessed such information and am surprised the story didn't make this clear. I must admit I'd forgotten the traditional British policy of not extraditing to countries when the death penalty is an option in sentencing. Thank you all, once again.

[Haggisdj]

It seems to me that someone can commit a crime in another country then hot-foot it to Britian hoping that the won't be extradited back. My opinion is that if commit a crime in a country you should be expected to return there for trail... no matter what there legal system is, after all you knew the risks before you went there.

[Drusilla]

The point I was making Haggisdj is that I can't find any evidence to suggest he was ever in the USA. That's why I was asking the question.

[LATECOMER]

If the Americans want him, let them have him, because a worthless hatemonger like him is not wanted here. The sooner he meets his maker, the better for all decent people.

[stevie21]

Some states in the USA have the death penalty while others don't. Maybe he's being extradited to face trial in one of those which don't support the death penalty and thus he'll be shipped off to face jail time instead of a jag in the paw.