ENGLAND FAN WINS EXTRADITION REPRIEVE

Garry Mann

THE INDEPENDENT - CHRIS GREEN

An England football fan facing extradition to Portugal to serve a jail term was granted a temporary reprieve by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today.

Garry Mann, 51, from Faversham in Kent, was told there was no immediate prospect of him being extradited to Portugal, where he was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in football-related violence in the Algarve resort of Albufeira during Euro 2004. Portugal is seeking extradition because Mr Mann did not serve his sentence in the UK after deportation.

His case has drawn attention to the failings of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).

“The European Arrest Warrant was rushed in after 9/11 to deal with terrorism and other serious crimes, but it is operating unfairly,” said Catherine Heard, policy officer at Fair Trials International. “People are being extradited after grossly unfair trials, like Garry Mann, often for minor offences. People are being held on remand for months after extradition. Until much-needed reforms are introduced, these flaws will result in more cases of injustice.”