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| Fugitive mafia boss Domenico Rancadore wins extradition fight | Fugitive mafia boss Domenico Rancadore wins extradition fight |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The fugitive mafia boss Domenico Rancadore is to walk free from a London prison after winning his battle against extradition to Italy. | The fugitive mafia boss Domenico Rancadore is to walk free from a London prison after winning his battle against extradition to Italy. |
| Rancadore, 65, was wanted in Italy over his conviction in 1999 of associating with the mafia between December 1987 and 13 April 1995. | Rancadore, 65, was wanted in Italy over his conviction in 1999 of associating with the mafia between December 1987 and 13 April 1995. |
| The mobster, who is accused of being a former "man of honour" in the Cosa Nostra group, fled to London with his wife in 1994 and lived under the radar for two decades before detectives raided his home last August. | The mobster, who is accused of being a former "man of honour" in the Cosa Nostra group, fled to London with his wife in 1994 and lived under the radar for two decades before detectives raided his home last August. |
| Senior district judge Howard Riddle discharged Rancadore at Westminster magistrates court on Monday. | Senior district judge Howard Riddle discharged Rancadore at Westminster magistrates court on Monday. |
| Rancadore's wife, Anne, smiled when the judge released him on police bail for the first time in seven months. | |
| As part of his bail conditions, Rancadore must pay a £20,000 security, sign in at Uxbridge police station each day and obey a strict curfew between the hours of 10pm and 2am and 10am and 2pm. | |
| The ruling will come as a huge blow for the Italian authorities, who said Rancadore faced seven years in prison over the 1999 conviction. He is accused of being a "prominent representative" and a former "man of honour" in the Sicilian mafia offshoot, Cosa Nostra, for whom he allegedly collected bribes from builders in Trabia, near Palermo. | The ruling will come as a huge blow for the Italian authorities, who said Rancadore faced seven years in prison over the 1999 conviction. He is accused of being a "prominent representative" and a former "man of honour" in the Sicilian mafia offshoot, Cosa Nostra, for whom he allegedly collected bribes from builders in Trabia, near Palermo. |
| Riddle told the court that a recent ruling involving the court of Florence meant that he had to reject Italy's request to extradite Rancadore. | Riddle told the court that a recent ruling involving the court of Florence meant that he had to reject Italy's request to extradite Rancadore. |
| The ruling represents a surprising turnaround for the judge, who said his original decision was to extradite Rancadore because he was satisfied that the European arrest warrant was valid and that to send him to Italy would not breach his human rights. | The ruling represents a surprising turnaround for the judge, who said his original decision was to extradite Rancadore because he was satisfied that the European arrest warrant was valid and that to send him to Italy would not breach his human rights. |
| However, Riddle changed his decision following the ruling in a similar case involving the court of Florence and Hayle Abdi Badre. | However, Riddle changed his decision following the ruling in a similar case involving the court of Florence and Hayle Abdi Badre. |
| In his 21-page judgment, Riddle said he could not accept assurances from the Italian authorities that prison conditions in the country would not breach Rancadore's human rights. | |
| The court heard concerns about overcrowding in Italian jails during a two-day extradition hearing last month. | |
| Rancadore's lawyers argued that detaining him in such conditions would put him at risk of inhuman or degrading treatment and might worsen his chronic chest pains. | |
| "The judgment of the administrative court is binding on me," Riddle said. "The higher court accepted that a similar assurance given in that case was in good faith, but was not sufficient." | "The judgment of the administrative court is binding on me," Riddle said. "The higher court accepted that a similar assurance given in that case was in good faith, but was not sufficient." |
| Rancadore had lived with his family under the false name of Marc Skinner in Uxbridge, west London, from 1994 until his arrest by Metropolitan police officers in August 2013. | Rancadore had lived with his family under the false name of Marc Skinner in Uxbridge, west London, from 1994 until his arrest by Metropolitan police officers in August 2013. |
| The father of two is said to have told an officer after being apprehended in his back garden: "You can't send me back there, they will kill me. I've been here since 1994 and have done nothing wrong. I'm not going back." | The father of two is said to have told an officer after being apprehended in his back garden: "You can't send me back there, they will kill me. I've been here since 1994 and have done nothing wrong. I'm not going back." |
| Rancadore was convicted in absentia in Italy in 1999 of mafia association between 1987 and 1995. He has been acquitted twice over the same allegation spanning different dates. |