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Latest update: 05/05/2010
- justice - nuclear Iran - sanctions
French court opposes Iranian engineer’s extradition to US
The Paris court of appeals on Wednesday rejected a request to extradite Iranian engineer Majid Kakavand to the United States, where he has been accused of illegally furnishing Iran with technology that could be used for military purposes.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - A French court Wednesday advised against extraditing an Iranian engineer to the United States, where he is accused of buying sensitive technology and illegally exporting it to Iran.
Majid Kakavand, 37, is wanted for trial in the US on charges of violating export laws on dual-use technology that could be used for military purposes.
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But the Paris court of appeal said it was against extradition, after prosecutors noted last month that the French arms agency DGA had concluded the electronics components purchased by Kakavand could not be considered potentially dangerous.
"The allegations by US authorities were not punishable in France at that time," the lead prosecutor told the hearing attended by US justice officials.
US authorities accuse Kakavand of buying measuring instruments and the components from companies in New Jersey, Alabama and California through a Malaysian firm and exporting them illegally to Iran.
Kakavand was arrested at Paris airport on March 20 last year. Iran is demanding his release.
Kakavand's case comes as France is seeking the release from Iran of 24-year-old French academic Clotilde Reiss, who has been tried on charges of acting against Iranian national security.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has linked Reiss's release to the fate of Iranians held in French jails.
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Comments (6)
France refuse US extradition
I salute France's courage to refuse US fishing expeditions against this Iranian!
Nobody is safe in this world, with the alleged crimes against the USA, without ever setting a foot in the damned country under God!
It seems anyone who belong to a country unfriendly
to the USA, may be accused of any of our Plethora of crimes, since 9/11, and extradited???!!!
What about some US Banksters to be extradited to France, for selling toxic/worthless financial papers to French investors, and collapsing French and world economy?
engineer kakavand
bravo paris because france is real democratie
Extradition?
Noriega was extradited to France for money laundering drug money in France. Plus the USA didn't know what to do with him once he had served his time in the American prison. Where to send Noriega? Nobody in the Americas want him. They needed to 'park' him somewhere while they figure out what to do with him in the future and French prison option was and is convenient to the government of the USA. But this Iranian guy is detained over industrial espionnage charge, and let's be frank, American & French do industrial espionnage everyday (and on each other) more than the Iranians, so his value to both of our countries in the espionnage world is... nothing other than imprisoning him as a deterrent to other would be industrial spies. The only value this Iranian spy has now is that he could be used as a good trading chip to free one French civilian stuck in an Iranian jail. What do you think France would do? The Americans would do the same too. Use him to free a civilian in another prison and catch him another day!
-So the answer is obvious. France is not going to give this Iranian guy to the US. France has other urgent usage of him. To France he is more useful outside a prison than inside an American or French prison. It's called pragmatism and realpolitik.
Iranian engineer’s extradition to US
Bravo France for standing up to US bullying and upholding the rule of law, something US hypocrites only give lip service to anymore.
RE EXTRADITION
Common France, one good turn deserves another. The other day the US extradited Noriega to France, why not oblige them too by wisking this suspicious guy to them. The world over knows what they are capable of.
FRENCH COURT/IRANIAN FUGITIVE/U.S.A
hand him over to the u.s!
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