SARAJEVO, Aug 30 (Hina) - An Egyptian recently arrested while attempting to illegally cross the Bosnian border into Croatia is suspected of ties with Islamic terror groups and authorities in Cairo will probably request his extradition
soon, Sarajevo's Oslobodjenje daily said on Saturday.
SARAJEVO, Aug 30 (Hina) - An Egyptian recently arrested while
attempting to illegally cross the Bosnian border into Croatia is
suspected of ties with Islamic terror groups and authorities in
Cairo will probably request his extradition soon, Sarajevo's
Oslobodjenje daily said on Saturday. #L#
Youssef Amqad was arrested with his wife at the Orasje border
crossing on July 31. Together with their three children they tried
to cross the border bearing fake Belgian passports. It is assumed
their destination was Western Europe.
Oslobodjenje says the Egyptian government recently notified
Bosnian authorities that an Interpol warrant had been issued after
Amqad and that he was accused of participation in acts of
terrorism.
According to available information, Amqad is yet another person
from Islamic countries who sojourned in Bosnia and Herzegovina
under unclear circumstances and even had its citizenship.
Amqad was given Bosnian citizenship based on his services in the war
but he was stripped of it in November 2001 after a review carried out
by the then authorities led by the Social Democratic Party.
At the time Bosnian police and secret services launched an
extensive investigation of all persons of Afro-Asian origin who had
been granted Bosnian citizenship under suspicious circumstances
and with the approval of the Party of Democratic Action.
Bosnia's Research and Documentation Agency established then that
Amqad had an alias -- Amjad Muhhamad Fathalah Ahmad Yusif.
In a March 2002 report to parliament, the Agency said the Egyptian
government had requested the extradition of nine of its citizens
who had stayed in Bosnia and were wanted for association in banned
secret organisations which posed a threat to Egypt's security.
After this was leaked to the public, every trace of Amqad was lost
until the recent arrest. Even if Egypt were to formally request his
extradition, it is unlikely Bosnian authorities will grant the
request.
In 1998 Bosnia abolished the death sentence, simultaneously
banning extradition to countries where such punishment is in force.
Bosnia's penal code envisages the possibility of extraditing
suspects to such countries only with the provision of written
guarantees that the suspect will not be executed.
(hina) ha