The highest court in Italy Tuesday upheld the extradition to Britain of a terrorist suspect arrested in Rome following the failed July 21 bombings in London.
Ethiopian-born Hamdi Issac, also known as Osman Hussain, was arrested in Rome a week after the failed July 21st bombings in London. Italian police seized him from his brother's apartment in the Italian capital, where the suspect was hiding.
Since then he had been held in a Rome jail. A lower court last month ordered his extradition to Britain, and he appealed. But Italy’s highest appeals court upheld the decision Tuesday.
The lawyer representing the British government in the case, Paolo Iorio, expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
"I am happy,” said Mr. Iorio. “I was expecting this decision. I have to congratulate with Italian authorities. They dealt with the case within 43 days and now since today, the deadline is 10 days. They have to transfer, within ten days, this person from Italy to Britain."
Mr. Iorio said the suspect was likely to be in Britain by next week.
The suspect has admitted to taking part in the July 21 attacks, in which four bombs were placed on London underground trains and a bus but did not explode. But he argued had not intended to kill anyone, but just to scare people.
His lawyer did not comment the court's decision.
The British authorities hope to prosecute Mr. Issac for his role in the failed bombing at the Shepherd's Bush subway station in London.
