Tunisia extradites ex-Libyan prime minister

Tunis/Tripoli, June 25 (IANS) Libya's ex-prime minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi, who served under slain leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been extradited from Tunisia to his native country, state-run TAP press agency reported.

Mahmoudi had fled to neighbouring Tunisia during the uprising against Gaddafi but was arrested in September 2011, Xinhua reported.

According to Tunisia's Radio Mosaique FM, the ex-prime minister was immediately taken into custody by Libyan authorities upon arriving in the capital Tripoli Sunday.

Mahmoudi had been held in a prison close to Tunis since a court ruled on his extradition after the Libyan authorities made two requests to the Tunisian government.

Several international rights groups had opposed Tunisia's extradition decision, arguing that Mahmoudi would not be given a fair trial in Libya and could face torture or even execution.

Earlier this month, Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said the extradition decision was irrevocable, despite the protests by the rights group and Mahmoudi who said the extradition would mean immediate death penalty.