It appears that Joran van der Sloot is actually about to be flown to the US (Alabama) to stand trial for defrauding the family of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared without a trace in Aruba in 2005. Van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, has long been suspected of killing Holloway but has never actually been charged with her death. He is currently serving 28-year sentence in Peru for the murder of Stephany Flores in 2010.
The agreement between the US and Peru is that after the case in Alabama has been tried in court, he would be flown back to Peru to complete his sentence. Apparently, according to this article, he would serve any US sentence only after completing his sentence in Peru. Now it seems that the airline that would have flown him to Lima from the prison site has refused to take him on board. This has necessitated a ten-hour drive to Lima in a heavily guarded police convoy.
My only concern here is that van der Sloot and his lawyers may pull off some legal tactic to prevent his being returned to Peru. I assume the US and Peru are acting under an extradition treaty and that they have every sound legal basis for sending him back to Peru. However, you never know if some liberal judge might issue a ruling that sending him back to a Peruvian prison would violate his "human rights". I fully expect that van der Sloot will try to challenge any eventual return to Peru, preferring to serve a shorter sentence for fraud in the US and then walking free. This is a man who deserves to die in prison.
The below article from Dagelijkse Standaard (Netherlands) is translated by Fousesquawk.
Transfer of Joran van der Sloot to US delayed due to airline refusal
Today 14:00
The much-discussed transfer of the notorious Dutch criminal, Joran van der Sloot, to the US has been delayed. The airline responsible for his transport has refused to take him on board. As a result of this, Van der Sloot now has to make the trip between Tacna and Lima in Peru in a police car, which means a ride of more than ten hours in a heavily-guarded convoy.
Eventually, he will be brought to the Piedras Gordas prison in Lima, where he will remain before he is flown to the American state of Alabama. In Alabama, he will stand trial for the extortion and defrauding of the parents of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared without a trace in 2005.
After days-long back-and-forth between Peru and the public prosecutor in Alabama, it has been agreed that Van der Sloot will be flown to the US in two to three days. The Peruvian judiciary wanted more guarantees that Van der Sloot, after his trial in the US, would be sent back to Peru to complete the remainder of his sentence for the murder of Stephany Flores and drug dealing. The US has promised to comply with this condition.
Van der Sloot still has to remain behind bars in Peru until 2045 before he could return to Alabama to serve his sentence for defrauding the Holloway family. In May 2010, van der Sloot claimed the reward the Holloway family had offered for tips relating to the disappearance of Natalee in 2005, which resulted in a fraud case. He claimed to know where the body lay buried and received an advance of 25,000 dollars. It later turned out that he had fabricated the location.
The relatives of Natalee Holloway have always insisted that Joran van der Sloot be tried in Alabama. Now with the transfer to the US taking place, they can finally expect justice.
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