Bomb suspect to be extradited to Spain
An alleged Islamic terrorist in Swiss custody has lost his appeal against his extradition to Spain, where he is suspected of plotting attacks against local targets.
The Swiss Federal Court rejected Mohamed Achraf’s argument that he would be in serious physical danger if handed over to the Spanish authorities.
The court said that the conditions for an extradition had been fulfilled. This included the classification of the “Martyrs for Morocco” group as a terrorist organisation, of which Achraf is allegedly the leader.
However, the Swiss justice ministry said it had not yet set a date for transferring Achraf to Spanish custody.
In January the Federal Justice Office approved a Spanish request to extradite Achraf to Madrid. The 31-year-old Algerian then appealed to the country’s highest judicial instance against the decision.
Achraf has been in Swiss hands since August 2004 when he was initially arrested for theft and immigration violations. He was awaiting deportation when the Spanish media revealed his alleged terrorist links.
Robberies
According to leaked intelligence reports, he was also planning a series of robberies in Switzerland to fund an attack on the National Court in Madrid.
At the time, the Swiss police services faced severe criticism over their failure to investigate Achraf’s alleged terrorist connections while holding him in a minimum-security detention centre in Zurich after his arrest last summer.
The Algerian first made his presence known to the Swiss authorities in April 2003 when he applied for asylum, claiming to be Palestinian. His application was rejected after an investigation revealed he was originally from Algeria.
He was then believed to have gone underground, travelling out of Switzerland on several occasions. He reportedly went to Spain with a suitcase of cash to recruit members for his group a month before his arrest in August 2004.
swissinfo with agencies
Timeline:
August 28, 2004: Achraf is arrested by Swiss police and transferred to a detention centre at Zurich airport.
October 19, 2004: Spanish police name Achraf as suspect in alleged plot to bomb the National Court in Madrid.
October 21, 2004: Swiss Federal Prosecutor opens investigation into Achraf’s alleged links to “terrorist activities”.
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