Jordan Times
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Jordanian fugitive to be
tried in Syria
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — A police delegation returned here on Tuesday after holding talks with
Syrian counterparts on the extradition of a man wanted in the Kingdom on murder
and armed robbery charges, a police official confirmed on Wednesday.
During the talks, which began on July 8, the Public Security Department (PSD)
team agreed with their Syrian counterparts that Thaer Smadi will first be tried
and sentenced in Damascus before being extradited to the Kingdom, said head of
the media office at the PSD, Major Bashir Daaja.
Smadi is wanted in Jordan on charges of murder, armed robbery, theft, plotting
criminal acts and possessing an illegal weapon (machinegun) with illicit intent.
Smadi is currently being treated at a Syrian hospital, Daaja told The Jordan
Times.
Smadi was injured by Syrian security forces on July 4 following a shootout on
Mount Qassioun overlooking Damascus.
During the shootout one Syrian security officer was killed and four others
injured.
Thaer's brother, Mohammad, also involved in the incident, died at a hospital in
Homs on July 7 as a result of wounds sustained during the shootout.
The two brothers have been on the run since escaping from the Jordanian
authorities while being escorted to court from their prison in June 2004.
The Smadi brothers are also part of a group of 15 men and women, nicknamed the
“Udwan Mills Gang,” who were convicted of committing over 200 crimes, including
four murders, thefts, attempted murder, possessing automatic weapons,
kidnapping, using forged documents and other violations.
Four of the gang members were executed in September 2001 after they were
convicted by the criminal and cassation courts of murdering four people between
1989 and 1992.
The group, described by government officials as “the most dangerous criminals in
Jordan,” was nicknamed the “Udwan Mills Gang” because they were captured in a
police raid in the village of Udwan Mills near the town of Sukhneh.