Court issues warrant for bomb suspect
Prosecutors in push to extradite Iranian
Bangkok Post, Feb 20 2012
Prosecutors say they will send a request to the Foreign Ministry to extradite an Iranian bombing suspect from Malaysia within a week. Wanchai Rujanawong, chief of the Office of the Attorney-General’s Foreign Affairs Department, said the request to extradite Masoud Sedaghatzadeh was imminent. The Criminal Court has approved the warrant for Sedaghatzadeh’s arrest. He was detained by Malaysian authorities a day after fleeing Thailand. Wanchai said the request will be forwarded to the Foreign Ministry for submission to the Malaysian authorities. It is reported that the extradition of the Iranian suspect is likely to be based on a reciprocal agreement with Malaysia. Police Col Sunthorn Khemaprapa, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police Division 5, said the Criminal Court has approved the warrant for the arrest of a fifth suspect. The warrant issuance is based on the suspect’s photo recorded by a surveillance camera near the bomb blasts. A police source said witnesses confirmed the man was frequently seen at the house one week before the bomb blasts and that he went out from the house at 7am on Feb 14, about seven hours before the bombs exploded. He was suspected of training other suspects to assemble bombs. However, Sunthorn said it could not be confirmed if the suspect in question is Nikkhahfard Javad, as was previously reported. He said police investigators will today ask immigration authorities to hand over Mohammad Khazaei. Khazaei was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport on Feb 14 and has remained in the custody of immigration officials. He said he was at the house but denied any involvement with the bombs.
