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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge in Rhode Island has blocked the extradition of a man accused of killing a police officer and injuring two others in the Dominican Republic during a 2013 narcotics investigation.
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell on Wednesday also ordered the immediate release of Cristian Aguasvivas. He was originally apprehended in Massachusetts in 2015 but is currently in custody in Rhode Island.
McConnell's ruling says the extradition would violate the United Nations' treaty against torture. He cites a federal Board of Immigration Appeals decision that Aguasvivas would likely be tortured by Dominican police. McConnell also says Aguasvivas sought asylum after Dominican security forces killed his brother and tortured his family.
Federal prosecutors are seeking to temporarily prevent Aguasvivas' release. His lawyer says he didn't commit the alleged crimes.
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