Tunis: Libya's former prime minister Baghdadi Al Mahmoudi has applied for political refugee status to try to avoid his extradition from Tunisia, one of his lawyers said Friday.
"If the HCR (the UN High Commissioner for Refugees) grants Mr Mahmoudi refugee status it will no longer be possible to extradite him," said the lawyer, Taufik Wanas.
A Tunisian appeals court this week gave the nod for Mahmoudi's extradition to Libya although rights groups have expressed concern for his safety once he is sent back.
Mahmoudi arrested September 21
Mahmoudi, 70, was prime minister until the final days of the regime of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi. He was arrested on September 21 on Tunisia's southwestern border with Algeria and jailed for illegal entry.
Libya's interim leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil on Thursday pledged to ensure Mahmoudi's security if he is returned.
"First of all we will ensure a secure place for him, then we will guarantee a fair trial, despite the acts he has perpetrated against the Libyan people," Abdul Jalil, chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council, told AFP.
New extradition request Friday
Another court in Tunisia was due on Friday to hear a new extradition request against Mahmoudi on charges of inciting rape, according to another of his lawyers, Mabrouk Kourchid.
Kourchid has said that his client fears for his life as the sole holder of Libyan state secrets since the ousted Gaddafi was slain on October 20.
Tunisia in August recognised the NTC as Libya's new authority and has committed itself to cooperation on security issues.
