Egypt, Libya agree on fair trial of extradited defendants

Egypt and Libya signed Saturday a legal and judicial memorandum of understanding to guarantee fair trial of extradited defendants, state-run news agency MENA reported.The memo, signed by justice ministers and prosecutors-general of both countries, states that extradited defendants must be tried before ordinary courts according to international criteria and conditions, that their detention must be in legal premises and that they must be granted the right of defense during all investigation and trial stages.MENA said the agreement will be in effect once Egypt agrees to extradite recently-arrested Libyan ex-regime figures.On Tuesday, the Egyptian authorities arrested Gaddaf al-Dam, who had been a coordinator for Libyan-Egyptian relations under former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, former Libyan ambassador to Egypt Ali Maria and former Libyan finance official Mohamed Ibrahim Mansour.On Saturday, the Libya authorities deported and mistreated 48 Egyptian workers despite the validity of their entry and work visas, according to MENA.