The case of Palestinian Omar Nayef Zayed
The Palestinian Omar Nayef Zayed, who has been living in Bulgaria for 22 years with his Bulgarian wife and their three children, is facing extradition to Israel for his political activity in Palestine 30 years ago.
Zayed fled Israel in 1990, after years of incarceration for crimes attributed to him by the occupying forces after being sentenced by a military court on the basis of evidence obtained by methods unacceptable under international law.
Israel is asking Bulgaria to extradite him as a fugitive from justice, citing the European Convention on Extradition.
If Zayed is extradited, this will be a violation not only of the European Convention on Extradition, which specifically prohibits extradition for non-criminal offences and convictions by military courts (Article 2), but also of the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 5 and 6), to which the EU is a signatory, and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which prohibits extradition to a State where the fugitive risks being subjected to torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 19).
In view of the above, will the Commission say:
1. Is it aware of the case of Zayed? What communications has it had with the Israeli authorities in this matter?
2. What will it do to prevent a decision which violates international law and the aforementioned fundamental principles of European law?
23 February 2016