Russia to extradite Israeli wanted in Colombia for training guerillas

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Last update - 17:36 22/05/2008
Russia to extradite Israeli wanted in Colombia for training guerillas
By Reuters

Russia's Supreme court approved on Thursday a request from Colombia for the extradition of an Israeli man wanted for training illegal paramilitaries.

A Colombian court sentenced Yara Gal Klein, also known as Yair, in absentia in 2001 to 10 years in prison for training paramilitaries in the Andean country.

The former Israel Defense Forces officer was arrested in August at the Moscow airport, after Interpol tipped off Russia's Interior Ministry that he would attempt to travel there. Klein has said the Colombian military knew about his paramilitary training activities.
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Klein denied committing any crime and said he was sure the case was politicised. He addressed the court in Hebrew by video link, which was then translated into Russian.

He said he also feared for his safety in a Colombian jail.

"Colombia is the only country where the removal of organs is permitted and conducted. The majority of these organs are the result of murders in the prison where I will be imprisoned," Klein said.





Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/986178.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Yair Klein is “wanted” in 186 countries

Yair Klein is “wanted” in 186 countries
5 April 2007

Yair Klein, Melnik Ferri and Tzedaka Abraham were being sought on charges of criminal conspiracy and instruction in terrorism and face nearly 11 years in prison if convicted, said Oscar Galvis, spokesman for Colombia’s domestic intelligence agency.

The men are accused of helping set up training camps to teach private armies working for drug lords Pablo Escobar and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha about explosives, car bombs and high-profile killings. The armies later morphed into Colombia’s right-wing death squads.

Klein, a former lieutenant colonel in the Israeli army, appeared in a 1998 video used to train far-right squads. In 1991, he was convicted and fined US$13,400 (€10,030) by an Israeli court for selling arms to Colombia’s illegal groups.

Klein also spent 16 months in a Sierra Leon prison for his role in a guns for blood diamonds deal.

More:
http://colombiaherald.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/yair-klein-is-wanted-in-186-countries/

http://www.elpais.com.co/historico/ago292007/fotos-periodico2/COaAAGO29-07N1,photo01.JPG

[pingzing58]

2. Not all Israelies are saints apparently.

[ninety lives]

8. Who thinks that?

The guy's in the drug business - I don't think that anyone is defending that.

[jeff30997]

3. "Colombia is the only country where the removal of organs is permitted "

Not really.China is also doing it.

[Judi Lynn]

4. European court bans Russian extradition of Israeli to Colombia

European court bans Russian extradition of Israeli to Colombia
Irish Sun
Wednesday 28th May, 2008
(IANS)

Moscow, May 28 (RIA Novosti) The European Court of Human Rights Wednesday ruled that Russia cannot extradite to Colombia an Israeli national accused by Bogota of conspiracy to commit terrorism, the defendant's lawyer said.

The Strasbourg court 'has prohibited Russia from extraditing Yair Klein to Colombia pending the court's further instructions', Dmitry Yampolsky said.

Russia's Supreme Court ruled as lawful last week the extradition of Klein, a former colonel in the Israeli army, who was sentenced by Colombian judicial authorities in 2001 to nearly 11 years in prison for training members of drug barons' private armies and paramilitary groups.

The court rejected an appeal by Klein's defence, which said the defendant was being persecuted for political motives and that the five-year time limit for the sentence to be enforced had expired. Klein has said he may face torture in Colombia.

More:
http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/364445/cs/1/

[SergeyDovlatov]

5. I am confused here

How can EU court tell Russia what to do?

[jasmine621]

7. Why not? Isn't this person a "terrorist?" nt

[jasmine621]

6. More wars and conflicts fomented by Israel?

This nation seems to really be driven by love of war.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. What a marvelously idiotic response.

[Megahurtz]

10. That they are. nt

[darue]

11. woo hoo! Well done Russia! n/t