The suspect in the murder of Philippine, Taha Oualidat, was heard for the first time by a prosecutor in Geneva this Wednesday, October 16. During this hearing, he was asked if he agreed to be extradited to France, an option which he formally refused. If Taha Oualidat had agreed to this request, his transfer to France could have been done in just a few days thanks to an accelerated procedure.
The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) in Switzerland will soon receive the report of this hearing and will make a decision regarding extradition in the coming days.
An extradition procedure likely to lengthen
In the event of a decision favorable to extradition, the suspect would have five days to file an appeal. If this path is taken, the procedure could then last “ several weeks, even several months »according to a source relayed by BFMTV.
Taha Oualidat, aged 22, was arrested on September 24 in Geneva. He was subject to an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) since June 18. When this decision was issued, it took no action to challenge this obligation.
The refusal to extradite Taha Oualidat and the potential appeals he could pursue point to a prolonged legal process, delaying his return to France to answer charges in the Philippine murder case. The Swiss authorities will have to decide on this matter in the coming days.
Taha Oualidat: repeat offender under OQTF
Arriving in 2019, Taha Oualidat entered French territory thanks to a tourist visa, valid from June 13 to July 27 of that same year. Shortly after his arrival, he was involved in a rape of a 23-year-old student, in a forest path in Taverny (Val-d’Oise).
Quickly identified using his DNA, he was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison, but he only served five years of his sentence.
Also read: Neither expulsion nor repatriation: what happens to Taha Oualidat, alleged murderer of Philippine?
