There are fears that Najib al-Hashemi al-Harari, a Libyan political refugee, is at risk of forcible return to Libya where he would face serious human rights violations. He was arrested in Malta on 19 August 1996 and detained for over eight months reportedly on charges that he had entered the country on a forged passport. On his release, having been granted UNHCR refugee status, he was offered asylum in Sweden, however, he was rearrested by Maltese police at the airport and told that the Libyan authorities had officially requested his extradition. The court examining the proceedings for his extradition will announce its verdict on 12 May. Amnesty International is calling on the Maltese authorities to abide by international law and to allow his resettlement in Sweden.
