ALGERIAN Mustafa Labsi, the alleged terrorist who was extradited from Slovakia back in 2010, has avoided the death penalty in his home country and has been released from prison. Labsi can now claim financial compensation from the Slovak courts, which dealt unsuccessfully with his demand to remain in Slovakia, based on the ruling passed by the European Court of Justice (ECHR), the TASR newswire reported on November 17.
“I can confirm that my client, Mr Labsi, whom I represented before the ECHR, is currently at liberty,” said Marián Hrbáň, Labsi’s lawyer, as quoted by TASR.
Labsi said that his civil rights had been violated by the Slovak courts, TASR wrote.
Slovakia’s representative at the ECHR, Marica Pirošíková, said that information regarding Labsi’s release was provided by Algeria’s embassy to Slovakia. The reasons for his release remain unclear, however.
Labsi, who was charged with cooperating with international terrorist network al-Qaeda, unsuccessfully sought asylum in Slovakia, as well as in other countries, on the grounds that he would face torture and/or the death penalty in Algeria.
He was extradited from Slovakia to Algeria in mid-April 2010, but won his lawsuit against Slovakia’s Border and Foreign Police in absentia at the Supreme Court later that month.
