Spanish judge seeks extradition of four in Guantanamo

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

MADRID, Spain (AFP): A leading Spanish anti-terrorism judge has called for extradition of four prisoners held at the United States base at Guantanamo in Cuba because they are suspected of links with an al-Qaeda cell which police smashed in Spain, court sources said Monday.

Judge Baltazar Garzon of Spain's highest criminal tribunal has applied to the Spanish government to seek the extradition of Hamed Abderrahman, alias "Hmido", the only Spanish national held at Guantanamo, Lahcen Ikassrien, alias "Chej Hasan", Khamiel Abdul Latif Al Banna, alias "Abu Anas", and Omar Deghayes. The nationalities of the last three were not given.

Spanish authorities wish to question the four in connection with charges against them here of membership of a terrorist organisation.

The accused are being detained at Guantanamo base, but since there is evidence against them in Spain the Spanish government is legally required to seek their extradition without delay," Garzon said in his submission.

He said Spanish jurisdiction applied because the offences with which the four are charged were committed at least partly in Spain, inside an organisation that had recruited and indoctrinated them for work with al-Qaeda.

The al-Qaeda cell run by Imad Eddin Barakat, alias "Abu Dahdah", a Spaniard of Syrian origin, was smashed by Spanish police in November 2001, two months after the September 11 attacks in the United States.

Last September Garzon indicted 35 men for having alleged links to or membership of al-Qaeda, including Tayssir Alluni, a journalist working for the Al-Jazeera TV network.

He also accused some of them of involvement in the September 11 attacks in the United States. 

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