KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysia court ordered the extradition of an Iranian citizen suspected of being involved in a plot to attack Israeli diplomats in Thailand. The suspect could be sent to Bangkok. Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, arrested at Kuala Lumpur's international airport on February 15, is among three Iranians being held over incidents in Bangkok that saw Tehran be accused of a campaign against Israel. Iran has denied any involvement in the bomb attacks. The alleged plot emerged after an apparently unintended explosion at a house in the Thai capital. Two suspects are in custody in Thailand, including one who hurled a bomb at police while fleeing, blowing off his own legs. At a criminal sessions court in Kuala Lumpur, Judge S. Komathy described Sedaghatzadeh, 31, as a “fugitive criminal” and said she disagreed with defence arguments that there was no evidence against him. “In my view the conduct of the respondent is inconsistent with that of an innocent man,” she said. “The prosecution has shown that the respondent is a fugitive criminal … as he is wanted by the Thai police for offences which come within the definition of extradition offences. “I'm allowing the application for extradition and the respondent is to be detained in prison pending an order from the minister (of home affairs).” Sedaghatzadeh, told the hearing through an interpreter that he would appeal to the high court against the extradition. “I require more time to defend myself,” he said. The explosions in Thailand followed bomb attacks targeting Israeli embassy staff in India and Georgia the previous day, pushing tensions between arch-foes Iran and Israel to a new spike.
