Chief Mongolian spy allowed to be extradited to Germany
A spy chief from Mongolia, who claimed he was conned into travelling to the UK so police could arrest him, can be extradited, ruled a court.
The district judge at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Quentin Purdy, ruled that Bat Khurts should be extradited on a European arrest warrant to Germany. The 41-year-old is wanted for the abduction and false imprisonment of a national of Mongolia suspected of killing a government official. Mr Khurts’s lawyer stated that he intends to appeal.
It was alleged that Mr Khurts participated in the kidnap of Enkhbat Damiran in 2003. Mr Damiran was then transported from France to Berlin before being drugged and flown to Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital. Mr Damiran had been wanted in connection with Mongolia’s Infrastructure Minister Zorig Sanjasuuren’s murder in 1998.
Mr Khurts has been remanded in custody and is due to be extradited within the next 17 days, unless the appeal is successful. Alun Jones QC, Khurts’s lawyer, claimed Mr Khurts, who is the leader of Mongolia’s National Security Council’s executive office, should not have been arrested at Heathrow Airport last September due to the fact he has diplomatic immunity.
Mr Jones said the Foreign Office lured his client to the UK, on the pretence that he would attend high-level government discussions on intelligence co-operation, so that he could be detained and extradited to Germany. The lawyer added that Mr Khurts had been given a business visa for his trip, during which he was meant to meet Sir Peter Ricketts, Britain’s National Security Director, and William Nye, director of strategy and counter-terrorism.
Judge Purdy stated that he believed Mr Khurts had been invited for genuine security discussions but that the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) had got word of the trip and knew about his outstanding warrant in Germany.
The district judge at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Quentin Purdy, ruled that Bat Khurts should be extradited on a European arrest warrant to Germany. The 41-year-old is wanted for the abduction and false imprisonment of a national of Mongolia suspected of killing a government official. Mr Khurts’s lawyer stated that he intends to appeal.
It was alleged that Mr Khurts participated in the kidnap of Enkhbat Damiran in 2003. Mr Damiran was then transported from France to Berlin before being drugged and flown to Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital. Mr Damiran had been wanted in connection with Mongolia’s Infrastructure Minister Zorig Sanjasuuren’s murder in 1998.
Mr Khurts has been remanded in custody and is due to be extradited within the next 17 days, unless the appeal is successful. Alun Jones QC, Khurts’s lawyer, claimed Mr Khurts, who is the leader of Mongolia’s National Security Council’s executive office, should not have been arrested at Heathrow Airport last September due to the fact he has diplomatic immunity.
Mr Jones said the Foreign Office lured his client to the UK, on the pretence that he would attend high-level government discussions on intelligence co-operation, so that he could be detained and extradited to Germany. The lawyer added that Mr Khurts had been given a business visa for his trip, during which he was meant to meet Sir Peter Ricketts, Britain’s National Security Director, and William Nye, director of strategy and counter-terrorism.
Judge Purdy stated that he believed Mr Khurts had been invited for genuine security discussions but that the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) had got word of the trip and knew about his outstanding warrant in Germany.
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