The Constitutional Court of Spain issued a judgement saying it will not extradite Hussein Salem to Egypt.
Salem is an Egyptian businessman who was sentenced in absentia to charges of money laundering and profiteering.
The Spanish court stated that Egypt, “did not offer sufficient guarantees” that Salem would be safe from harm or ill-treatment. In fact the court stated that, “strong evidence was provided that in the current situation, Egypt is a country where gross violations of human rights still persist.”
The judgement casts doubt on the likelihood that Salem would receive a fair trial with due process.
In reaction to this, head of the Illicit Gains Authority, Yahia Gelal, has demanded that Spain return the €5 million to Egypt that was paid by an associate of Salem to bail him out of jail. State run news agency Al-Ahram also reported that Gelal was continuing his pursuit of extradition.
Salem fled Egypt during last year’s revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, to whom Salem was a confidant.
Spain detained Salem in June of 2011 and confiscated millions of dollars in assets. Egyptian prosecutors and the Egyptian public immediately called for his extradition back to Egypt.
While in exile, Salem was sentenced by an Egyptian court to seven years in jail. Along with his son and daughter, the Salem family was also fined over $4 billion.
