German court approves 'al-Qaida' extradition

A German court has approved the extradition of a Yemeni cleric and his assistant wanted by the US on charges of supporting al-Qaida.

The Frankfurt state court ruled that Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed could be extradited on the condition they would not face the death penalty.

The court also set the condition that the pair could not be held in any confinement centres outside of natural US territory, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The ruling needs final approval from the German government.

US authorities accuse al-Moayad of supporting both al-Qaida and Hamas, and of helping organise the visit to Germany to allegedly raise funds for both organisations.

They have been held in detention since their arrest in January at a hotel near the Frankfurt airport.

US officials suspect al-Moayad of supplying millions of pounds, recruits and weapons to Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the September 11 attacks.

Yemeni officials say Al-Moayad, a leading member of Yemen’s Islamic-oriented Reform party, left Yemen for medical treatment in Germany 10 days before his arrest. The former MP suffers from asthma and diabetes.