Zambia to hand over suspect

2005-07-31 13:08

Lusaka - Zambia has decided to hand over a British national who was reportedly involved in the July 7 London bombings to Britain and turned down a US request for his extradition, a police official told AFP on Sunday.

"We have tentatively agreed to hand him over to the British government," said the official, who asked not to be named.

"The US government also requested us to hand him over to them but after further discussions amongst ourselves, we realised that it would be proper that he be handed over to the British government because he is a British national," he said.

Zambian police confirmed on Saturday that they were holding Haroon Aswat who was arrested on July 20 in Lusaka.

Aswat, 31, has been named in US and British media reports as the alleged mastermind behind the July 7 blasts that killed 56 people including four suicide bombers.

"We are still trying to finalise the little details concerning the handover," said the official amid expectations that he may be turned over to British authorities later in the day.

Aswat was also wanted by US authorities over alleged attempts to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon.

Aswat's family on Saturday said they were concerned that he might be sent to the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

British officials have refused to comment on reports that Aswat is the suspected mastermind behind the July 7 attacks on the London subway and one on a bus.

Scotland Yard has not confirmed that Aswat is a terror suspect, describing the media reports as "speculation".

- AFP