Court: No extradition for alleged rebel jailer

Court: No extradition for alleged rebel jailer

BOGOTA – Colombia's Supreme Court is denying Washington's request to extradite a leftist rebel accused of holding captive three U.S. military contractors.

Court president Augusto Ibanez says the request was denied Wednesday because the three Americans were taken in Colombian territory.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia seized Americans Tom Howes, Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves in 2003 when their surveillance plane crashed. They were freed in a July rescue.

The suspect wanted by the U.S. is known by the nom de guerre Martin Sombra. He is the second top FARC guerrilla to have his extradition denied by the court in the abduction of the Americans.

More than 800 Colombians have been extradited to the U.S. under President Alvaro Uribe.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_colombia_us_hostages