Egypt awaits Qatar’s extradition of Asem Abdel-Maged

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Egypt awaits Qatar’s extradition of AsemAbdel-Maged

Jan. 04, 2014 04:47

Asem Abdel-Maged - YOUM7/Sami Waheeb

By AMAL RASLAN

CAIRO: As Egypt awaits Qatar’s response to its extradition request for Islamist leader Asem Abdel-Maged, who fled the country after the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi, a diplomatic source told Youm7 on Friday that the Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism of 1998 does not stipulate punishing a country if it refuses to extradite a “terrorist” suspect.

The source told Youm7 that the extradition request would take place through bilateral negotiations between Egypt and Qatar, through their ministries of foreign affairs and justice. He said the Arab League would not be a mediator even though the convention was signed in the Arab League.

The source, in a statement to Youm7, mentioned that the Arab League has notified its member countries of Egypt’s decision to consider the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist” organization, which it was notified of in an official memorandum that Egypt submitted to the Arab League. He said the Arab League will only intervene in the matter if Egypt reports Qatar’s refusal of the extradition.

Judge Adel Maged, Vice-President of the Court of Cassation and an expert in international criminal law and transitional justice in the Arab world, told Youm7 that if any Arab countries fail to fulfill their basic obligations to fight “terrorism,” the Arab League may issue an obligatory decision under its covenant.

Maged said Egyptian authorities should prepare integrated files regarding the “terrorist” crimes committed against Egypt, and should provide documents and the necessary evidence to ensure the request is not rejected.

Maged added that the Egyptian Cabinet’s decision to consider the Brotherhood a “terrorist” organization does not imply a similar obligation for other countries, and it is unlikely that countries like Tunisia, Qatar and Turkey would ever consider the group as such considering that they support the Brotherhood.

He said Egypt is experiencing a regional battle against “terrorism“ that it can fight and win if it makes use of the international, regional and national legal tools available for combating “terrorism.”

Maged said Qatar has ratified all the international conventions issued by the United Nations regarding the combating of “terrorism,” which includes the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings in 1997 and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism in 1999.

The United Nations conventions differ from the Arab conventions, however, as they include texts that clarify how to resolve disputes between countries if any of them breach or do not implement the obligation to apply these conventions, he said.

Such a resolution would begin with negotiations between the countries, followed by arbitration, then referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice, he said.

Maged explained that the two countries will face a difficult political and legal situation if Egyptian authorities succeeded in showing legal evidence that the Brotherhood and other groups have committed “terrorist” crimes, particularly if other countries are harboring members and providing them with safe havens.

The situation would be further complicated if other countries are found to be harboring those who incite or encourage “terrorist” acts in Egypt, or if there are funds discovered that are used to finance “terrorist” operations in Egypt, he said.

[مستر محمد سلام]

thanks a lot