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By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 29 July 2015:
The former Tunisian president, Moncef Marzouki, has moved to distance himself from the death sentence . . .[restrict]pronounced yesterday in Tripoli on former Qaddafi-era prime minster Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi.
Mahmoudi, who had fled to Tunisia in 2011, was returned to Libya by the Muslim Brotherhood Ennahda-led government in a controversial deal in June 2012. It was widely claimed at the time that Tunisia was paid $200 million to hand him over. The deal, organised by Tunisia’s then prime minister, Hamadi Jebali, caused a major row with Marzouki, who as president was supposed to approve any extraditions.
In a statement following the verdict, Marzouki pointed out that he had not consented to the handover, that he had taken the case to court to prevent the government doing so, had won, but that his prime minister had gone ahead regardless and sent Mahmoudi back to Libya.
Opposing the death sentence, he called on the Libyan authorities not to implement the judgment which he said would impact negatively on Libya’s image, on the chances of a national dialogue succeeding and on getting the country out of it current crisis.
Mahmoudi’s lawyers in Tunis have said they intend to sue the former Tunisian government for handing him back illegally. [/restrict]
