Extradition move denied

BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned down an extradition demand for an Italian ex-militant, Cesare Battisti, considered a “terrorist” by Rome for murders committed in the 1970s.

The decision came on Lula’s last day in office, and in the wake of warnings from Italy that it would see such a move as “unacceptable”.

“The president today took the decision to not agree to the extradition of Italian citizen Cesare Battisti on the basis of a report by the attorney general,” Amorim told reporters.

“This type of judgment does not constitute an affront from one country to another,” he said, reading from an official statement.