Sunday, 23rd November 2008

Holocaust denier Frederick Toben has escaped extradition from Britain under the controversial European Arrest Warrant, but 101 British citizens have failed to achieve that happy result.

UKIP peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch, who asked the government how many British citizens had faced proceedings under the EAW, has been told that 203 UK nationals have so far been arrested and 101 of them have been extradited.

In a written answer, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, Lord West of Spithead, stated:

"The Extradition Act 2003, which gave effect to the provisions of the European arrest warrant (EAW) in the UK, came into force on 1 January 2004. Since that date, and up to 30 September 2008, 203 British citizens have been arrested pursuant to EAWs. 101 British nationals have subsequently been surrendered to other European member states pursuant to EAWs."

The minister's reply gave the following figures for the past four years:

2004 – 12 arrests, 5 surrenders
2005 – 42 arrests, 11 surrenders
2006 – 49 arrests, 26 surrenders
2007 – 62 arrests, 27 surrenders
2008 – 38 arrests, 32 surrenders to 30 September

Dr Toben, an Australian citizen, had been convicted in Germany of denying the Holocaust and was arrested in Britain under the EAW last month with a view to his extradition to Germany. The case was dropped after Dr Toben successfully argued that the British authorities had no right to send him to Germany because he had committed no offence under British law.

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