LISBON: A former CIA agent will be extradited to Italy for her involvement in the kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric under the US "extraordinary rendition" programme, after a last appeal to Portuguese authorities failed, she said on Wednesday.
Sabrina De Sousa, a joint US-Portuguese citizen, was one of 26 people convicted in absentia on charges of snatching Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr from a street in Milan in 2003 and taking him to be questioned in Egypt.
The case focused attention at the time on the treatment of suspects moved around the world for interrogation in the wake of the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks and strained relations between Washington and Rome.
De Sousa was arrested in Portugal in October at the request of Italian prosecutors, who want her to serve a six-year sentence.
De Sousa lodged an appeal against the extradition in January but Portugal’s constitutional court has now rejected it.
"Yes, it (the rejection of the appeal) was confirmed about 10 days ago," De Sousa said in a an email response to Reuters.
"The extradition process started last night.
I have no idea of the date because Portugal Interpol have to contact Italy to agree on a date.
"She said she had no idea if she would now have to serve the prison sentence in Italy or if she would be given a new trial to be able to counter the charges, as she has requested.