Tunisia extradites former Kadhafi PM to Libya

TUNIS: Tunisia has extradited Moamer Kadhafi's former premier to Libya, igniting a fierce row between Tunis's president and prime minister, who disagreed over the move.

Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, who fled Libya to neighbouring Tunisia last September shortly after rebel fighters took the capital Tripoli, was extradited Sunday, a spokesman for Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali told AFP.

But the move sparked an angry reaction from the office of President Moncef Marzouki, who was in southern Tunisia Sunday for commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the national army.

"The presidency of the Republic expresses its rejection of the decision of the head of government to extradite M. Mahmoudi and considers this decision is illegal, all the more so because it has been done unilaterally and without consulting the president of the republic," a statement said.

"The extradition decision, signed by the head of the Tunisian government, constitutes a clear violation of our country's international commitments and those towards the UN," the statement added. "The president's office holds the head of government responsible for anything that happens after the extradition," and for anything that subsequently befalls Mahmoudi.

Marzouki had opposed sending back Mahmoudi, 67, because he wanted guarantees he would receive a fair trial. Lawyers and rights groups have long argued Mahmoudi would be executed if returned to Libya, where a February 2011 uprising ended more than four decades of Kadhafi's iron-fisted rule.