ATHENS, May 11: The Greek Supreme Court on Friday threw out a request by Pakistan to have a leading member of the Pakistani community in Greece extradited to Islamabad for alleged human trafficking, upholding a prior ruling by an appeals court, said a justice ministry source.
The Supreme Court ruled that Aslam, the 38-year-old head of the Unity community of Pakistanis resident in Greece, had committed “no violation of the penal code,” said the ministry source.
Aslam is well-known in the country for criticising Greek police for arresting and illegally questioning Pakistanis in the aftermath of the public transport bombings in London in July 2005.
Greek authorities have rejected his allegations but a judicial investigation found that the interrogations did take place.
The Amnesty International had called on Greece not to extradite Aslam because of Pakistan’s poor human rights record.
The Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Aslam in response to accusations by Pakistan that he served as a middle man in transferring clandestine immigrants from Pakistan to Greece.
But his supporters claim that he is being persecuted for condemning the alleged illegal detention and interrogation of several Pakistani immigrants last year.
Aslam has lodged a request for political asylum in Greece. The Amnesty said it was “probable” that Aslam’s charges were “linked to his attempts to defend the rights of his compatriots.—AFP
