Terror suspect extradition halted pending new psychiatric probe

Justice minister Ivo Opstelten has ordered an independent investigation into the mental health of a Dutch-Pakistani man due to be extradited to the US on terror charges, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.


Opstelten has asked the forensic psychiatry institute NIFP to examine Sabir K to determine if he was tortured while held in prison in Pakistan.
Opstelten says he has ordered the probe in a letter to K’s lawyer André Seebregts, who claims K was traumatised during his time in Pakistan and should not be sent to the US. Until the report has been completed, Opstelten will not give the green light for the extradition, which has already been approved by the High Court.
The US has accused K of working together with the Al-Qaeda terror group to conspire to attack US military personnel in Afghanistan. He was arrested in Pakistan and spent eight months in jail there.
One psychiatrist has already concluded K does suffer from post traumatic stress. Another, who only examined him briefly, did not reach a conclusion about his mental state.

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