Malaysian Session Court Allows Extradition of Iranian to Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court here on Monday allowed an extradition application by the Malaysian authorities against Iranian Sedaghatzadeh Masoud who is wanted by the Thai government over an alleged bomb plot. Judge S.M.Komathy Suppiah also ordered Masoud be sent to Sungai Buloh prison pending an order from the Home Minister. Komathy said the prosecution had shown that Masoud was a fugitive criminal and wanted by authorities in Thailand. Masoud told the court that he would file an appeal to the High Court against the decision. Komathy made the ruling after hearing submissions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamal Baharin Omar representing the Attorney-General's (AG) Chambers, and counsel Mohd Nashir Hussin for Masoud. Masoud was detained under the Immigration Act on Feb 15 at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang upon arrival from Bangkok, while on transit to Iran. He was detained on a request from Bangkok after Thai authorities suspected he had links with two Iranians who were nabbed following an explosion at a house in the Thai capital. In his submission, Kamal Baharin said that Masoud knew the other suspects before the Feb 14 incident, and that he had been seen at the house. He said that CCTV footage showed Masoud and the other suspects leaving the house at approximately the same time following the explosion which damaged the house. Meanwhile, Mohd Nashir said in his submission that there was no evidence from all the affidavits and pictures to show that Masoud had knowledge of the existence of explosives at the house. He also said there was no evidence to show that Masoud had conspired with the other accused to make explosives and to attack certain targets in Bangkok. On March 15, the AG's Chambers submitted a supporting affidavit through Senior Federal Counsel Swandra Kim Chu Ramachandran, who is attached to its international affairs division. The affidavit stated that the extradition order be issued against Masoud under Article 7 of the Extradition Treaty between the British Government and the Siamese Government in 1911, which also applied to Malaysia. -- BERNAMA