Victim's family pin hopes on extradition

Last year campaigners picketed the Maltese High Commission

The family of a Briton murdered while on holiday in Istanbul three years ago believe that a suspect has come one step closer to appearing in court.

Edgar Fernandes, a 37-year-old librarian from Hackney, east London, disappeared while on holiday in Turkey in April 1998.

His alleged killer, Mohammed Abdul Abbas Aly, was arrested in Malta several months later after being found in possession of Mr Fernades' passport and credit card.

Interpol had traced him using credit card records.

Edgar Fernandes was murdered while on holiday in 1998

Mr Abbas Aly initially confessed to the murder, but later retracted his confession.

Turkish police asked for Mr Abbas Aly, who is Egyptian, to be extradited to Istanbul but the Maltese authorities declined because Turkey still has the death penalty as the ultimate sentence for murder.

Turkey has had a moratorium on executions for the last 18 years but the Maltese authorities still refused to extradite Mr Abbas Aly.

The impasse lasted for several months and the Fernandes family feared at one point that Mr Abbas Aly would be freed and allowed to return home to Egypt.

I have always been opposed to the death penalty. All I ever wanted was justice

Genny Fernandes

But Mr Fernandes' sister, Genny, told BBC News Online she had been informed, within the last few days, that the Maltese authorities had received an assurance from the Turks that Mr Abbas Aly would not be executed if found guilty of murder.

A final decision on extradition will be made by a judge in the Maltese capital, Valletta, on 6 June.

Ms Fernandes said: "We are hoping the judge will decide that the extradition can take place and that will be a huge hurdle we have jumped."

She said she understood that once extradited, Mr Abbas Aly - who was convicted of passport and credit card fraud in relation to Mr Fernandes' documents - may go on trial in Istanbul within weeks.

Genny Fernandes: "We will have cleared a major hurdle"

Ms Fernandes welcomed the latest turn of events and stressed that she had never sought the death penalty in the event of someone being convicted of killing her brother.

"I have always been opposed to the death penalty. All I ever wanted was justice," she said.

The death penalty is a sensitive matter in Turkey.

In 1999 Kurdish guerrilla leader Abdullah Ocalan was sentenced to death in 1999 after being extradited from Italy.

Politicians inside Turkey continue to argue over whether to carry out the execution in view of pressure from the European Union, which is opposed to the death sentence.