Return of bomb suspect given go-ahead

ITALY/BRITAIN: Italy's highest court yesterday upheld the extradition to Britain of a suspect in the failed July 21st London…

ITALY/BRITAIN: Italy's highest court yesterday upheld the extradition to Britain of a suspect in the failed July 21st London bombing who was arrested in Rome, according to a lawyer.

The court's decision cannot be appealed.

The suspect, Hamdi Issac, a British citizen who is also known as Osman Hussain, is expected to be transferred to Britain within the next 10 days, said Paolo Iorio, a lawyer representing the British government in the case.

Mr Issac was not in court, and awaited the ruling in the Rome prison where he is being held.

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A Rome court last month ordered him to be extradited to Britain.

His lawyer filed an appeal, citing what she said was lack of proper documentation by the British authorities and saying Mr Issac feared that "heightened tension" in Britain might affect proceedings there against him.

His lawyer, Antonietta Sonnessa, did not immediately comment yesterday, saying she wanted to read the ruling first.

Mr Issac was arrested on an international arrest warrant in the Italian capital on July 29th. Through his lawyer, he had said that he wanted to remain in Italy.

British authorities want to prosecute him for his alleged role in the attempted bombing at the Shepherd's Bush underground station, one of four botched attacks on London's transport system on July 21st.

Nobody died in the attacks.

In her appeal, Ms Sonnessa complained that she had not received a report from the British analysing the contents of the bag that Mr Issac allegedly carried on to a Tube train at Shepherd's Bush station on the day of the attacks.

Through his lawyer, Mr Issac has said his bag contained a mixture of flour and a liquid hair product and that the attack was not meant to kill.

The botched attacks came two weeks after suicide bombings on London's transport system killed 52 people and the four bombers. - (PA)