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Israeli faces colombia extradition

Al Jazeera, march 12 2008

Russia is to extradite a former Israeli commando to Colombia where he was convicted in absentia of training paramilitary groups allied to drug cartels, a Moscow court has said.

Yair Klein was arrested at a Moscow airport last August on an Interpol warrant as he was about to board a plane to Israel.

In 2001 a Colombian court sentenced Klein to 10 years in jail for training paramilitary groups in what were described as "terrorist techniques".

He was also accused of working as a mercenary for Colombia's notorious Medellin drugs cartel in the 1980s, a charge he denied.

Appeal

A court spokeswoman told reporters in Moscow that Klein had 10 days in which to lodge an appeal with Russia's Supreme Court.

If he did not do so, the extradition would take effect, she added.

Klein is also alleged to have worked as a mercenary in Africa and spent time in jail in Sierra Leone, AFP reported.

Colombia's paramilitary groups were ostensibly organised as private armies in the 1980s to combat fighters from groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

However more than 3,000 people died in fighting involving the paramilitary groups, including four candidates in Colombia's 1990 presidential election.

Many paramilitary groups were decommissioned following a series of peace deals with the Colombian government.
Source: Agencies

By borat on Mar 12, 2008, 10:48 in Friendly Talkzone.