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THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A Greek court has refused to extradite to Iran an Iranian political dissident and Christian wanted in her country for alleged drugs-smuggling, citing fears that she might face torture if returned.
The court in the northern city of Thessaloniki ruled Wednesday that the accusations were brought against Farnaz Naderikia, 31, as a form of political and religious persecution, her Greek lawyer Thodoris Karagiannis said.
Naderikia, who won asylum in Greece after entering illegally from Turkey with her husband and 11-year-old daughter, was an aide of Iran's reformist ex-Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
Mousavi remains under house arrest years after he led Iran's Green Movement following his disputed 2009 election loss to hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The court said Iran's extradition request stated Naderikia had been convicted of opium-smuggling. She denied that.
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