Russia Extadites Israeli Convicted of Training Paramilitary Groups in Colombia

Mercenary to be sent to Colombia

A Russian court has approved the extradition to Colombia of a former Israeli army officer.

In 2001, Yair Gal Klein was tried in his absence in a Colombian court for training guerrillas.

He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for training paramilitary groups in "terrorist techniques".

He was detained by Russian police at Moscow airport last year following a tip off from Interpol, as he was about to board a flight to Israel.

Mr Klein is also accused of working as a mercenary for the Medellin drug cartel, a charge he denies.

A spokeswoman for Moscow city court said Mr Klein had 10 days to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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

Colombia's paramilitary militia groups were formed in the 1980s to protect landowners from attacks by left-wing guerrillas.

The militias are themselves accused of killing thousands of people.

More than 30,000 paramilitaries have handed in their weapons and surrendered to police in recent years, under a peace deal that offered reduced jail terms.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7291689.stm
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It seems there were many Isaeli soldiers training killers in Medellin, for several groups. I was wondering how that all came about?

It's interesting......................

By Medellin Traveler on Mar 12, 2008, 14:31 in Friendly Talkzone.

cali373 says on Mar 12, 2008, 15:07:

Do you think Israel would have extradited him too?

Smile if you are a thinker!

Medellin Traveler says on Mar 12, 2008, 15:20:

Hell NO!

They are all holier than thou.

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com

Alma del Norte says on Mar 12, 2008, 15:38:

Got around a bit, (apparently) - accused of training paramilitaries, guerilla and involvement in the MDE drug cartel ?

La vida es una rutina

Medellin Traveler says on Mar 12, 2008, 15:43:

Russia to extradite Israeli wanted by Colombia 12 Mar 2008 - Reuters
By Michael Stott

MOSCOW, March 12 (Reuters) - Russia will extradite a former Israeli army officer to Colombia where he has been convicted of training paramilitaries, a Moscow city court spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Russian police detained Yair Gal Klein at a Moscow airport in August last year, following a tipoff from Interpol.

Colombia sentenced Klein in absentia in 2001 to 10 years in jail for training paramilitaries in "terrorist techniques", such as assassinations. He was also accused of working for the Medellin drug cartel in the 1980s, a charge he denied.

"This is a victory for the Colombian state in its fight against paramilitaries and drug trafficking, activities in which Yair Klein has helped criminals in Colombia since 1988-89," Colombia's ambassador to Russia Diego Tobon told Reuters.

"Colombia does not tolerate the presence of illegal armed groups nor the collaboration of foreigners with guerrillas or common criminals."

A court spokeswoman said Klein, a reservist Israeli lieutenant-colonel, now had 10 days in which to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court. If he did not do so, the extradition would take effect.

Colombia had asked Russia to extradite Klein to serve his sentence in the Andean country, where the disarming of illegal paramilitaries has helped ease years of violence.

Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had lobbied her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov two months ago for Klein to be transferred to his homeland instead of being extradited, the Jerusalem Post reported on its Web site.

Colombia's paramilitary movement began in the 1980s when wealthy landowners banded together for protection against kidnapping and extortion by leftist guerrillas in rural areas.

But the militias soon turned to drug trafficking and kidnapping themselves as they snatched land and killed peasants in the name of counter-insurgency.

Aided by billions of dollars of U.S. funding, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has led a crackdown on rebels and negotiated the disarmament of the paramilitary movement. The rebels are still fighting, aided by money from the drug trade. (Additional reporting by Tatiana Ustinova; editing by Matthew Jones)

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com

jorgegdiaz says on Mar 12, 2008, 19:40:

Israel does not extradite its citizens. It´s forbidden there. That´s why it was so important to catch him outside Israel.

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.