Date set for attempted bomber's extradition hearing

An extradition hearing was set for August 17 for a London bombing suspect arrested in Italy, and a judge is “likely” to make a decision on Britain’s request that day, the suspect’s lawyer said today.

British authorities want to question Osman Hussain, also known as Hamdi Issac, 27, about the attempted bombing of a west London Underground line on July 21. Hussain, a British citizen, was arrested last Friday at his brother’s home in Rome.

Italian prosecutors earlier said a decision on his extradition could take weeks but Hussain’s lawyer, Antonietta Sonnessa, said the judge could issue a ruling August 17.

“It’s likely that it will be the only hearing, the decisive one,” Sonnessa said.

“The judge will evaluate the hypothesis of extradition, listening to the arguments of all, prosecution and defence, in order to assess any possible obstacle,” Sonnessa said.

The court-appointed lawyer has said Hussain wants to stay in Italy, suggesting he would oppose being returned to Britain. But no formal opposition was lodged during preliminary proceedings a few days ago at Regina Coeli prison.

The suspect was being held in an isolation cell at the Rome prison.

Extradition requests in Italy often take weeks or even months before a ruling, but Britain has been pressing Rome for Hussain’s return as it cracks down on terrorism following the deadly July 7 mass transit bombings in London and the failed attacks July 21.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi is a staunch ally of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the two have depicted themselves as bullish on international efforts to fight terrorism. A lengthy delay in ruling on Britain’s bid to get Hussain back could be embarrassing to both sides.

The British Embassy denied Italian and British media reports that British prosecutors and police were less than satisfied with the cooperation from their Italian counterparts.

“This is not true,” the embassy said in a statement said, contending that “all requests made by the UK authorities have been acted on promptly.”

Italian law requires that a date for an extradition hearing be decided within 20 days of the arrest.

Rome Prosecutor Pietro Saviotti has said Italian investigators are looking into any possible crimes committed in Italy by Hussain, an Ethiopian-born British citizen.

But the prosecutor dismissed fears that the Italian probe could block any extradition.

Hussain has told Italian authorities he brought a bag with explosives into the Underground on July 21, but has insisted to his interrogators that the attack was meant to grab attention, not injure anyone, according to Sonnessa. The bomb failed to detonate properly, and there were no injuries.

An appeal from either side of an extradition decision must be filed within 10 days of the ruling and be taken up by Italy’s top Court of Cassation within 15 days of receiving the paperwork. If extradition is upheld, the suspect must be returned within 10 days of the final decision.

In Brussels, EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini hailed the quick setting of a date for the extradition hearing as proof of “crucial” cooperation among the EU’s 25 members.

Hussain’s case could be a test of the usefulness of the new European arrest warrant in the cross-border fight against terrorism. European Union-wide warrants are aimed at ensuring that suspects can quickly be detained and sent to another member country for investigation.

But the new tool has hit trouble. Recently, Germany’s highest court struck down that nation’s version of the warrant system as a violation of the German constitution.