Spanish court approves extradition of Ecuadorean tied to TV station attack
FILE PHOTO: A view of the building of Ecuador's TC Television station after gunmen stormed into a studio during a live TV broadcast, in Guayaquil, Ecuador January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Vicente Gaibor del Pino/ File Photo
MADRID/GUAYAQUIL - Spain's High Court on Tuesday authorized the extradition of William Jofre Alcivar Bautista, accused of leading a violent attack on an Ecuadorean TV station in early 2024, provided that Ecuador guarantees his safety in custody.
Alcivar, known as Commander Willy and alleged head of the criminal group Los Tiguerones, was arrested in Spain alongside his brother Alex in October 2024.
Ecuadorean authorities accuse the pair of orchestrating car bombings, contract killings, extortion and a live on-air raid of TC Television's studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city - part of a wave of violence that led President Daniel Noboa to declare a war on gangs, which he branded as terrorist groups.
The court rejected arguments against Alcivar's extradition but insisted on additional assurances from Ecuador, due to concerns over violence in its prison system. His brother's extradition had been approved earlier under similar conditions.
The Ecuadorean government will not rest until all fugitives have been captured, Interior Minister John Reimberg told local radio in Guayaquil on Tuesday, adding that gang leaders are fleeing the country out of fear of arrest.
"They leave with the fear that we will get them, so we are working with different governments where we have some located, like what happened with Willy in Spain, and other similar cases," Reimberg said.
The raid on the TV station unfolded live for about 20 minutes, as 13 masked and heavily armed men stormed the studio, forcing staff to the floor. Police eventually rescued the hostages and the attackers surrendered. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump signals US may ease Iran oil sanction enforcement to help rebuild country
President Donald Trump said on June 25 that the US has not given up its maximum pressure on Iran. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump signals US may ease Iran oil sanction enforcement to help rebuild country THE HAGUE - President Donald Trump said on June 25 that the US has not given up its maximum pressure on Iran - including restrictions on sales of Iranian oil - but signalled a potential easing in enforcement to help the country rebuild. "They're going to need money to put that country back into shape. We want to see that happen," Mr Trump said at a news conference at the Nato Summit when asked if he was easing oil sanctions on Iran. Mr Trump said a day earlier that China can continue to purchase Iranian oil after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, but the White House later clarified that his comments did not indicate a relaxation of US sanctions. Mr Trump imposed waves of Iran-related sanctions on several of China's independent "teapot" refineries and port terminal operators for purchases of Iranian oil. Mr Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's Middle East envoy, told CNBC that Mr Trump's comment on China's ability to buy Iranian oil 'was a signal to the Chinese that we want to work with you, that we're not interested in hurting your economy'. China is the top buyer of Iranian crude and has long opposed Mr Trump's sanctions on the oil. "We're interested in working together with you in unison, and hopefully that becomes a signal to the Iranians," Mr Witkoff said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine, European rights body sign accord for tribunal on Russian aggression
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy adjusts his suit, as he arrives for a dinner for NATO heads of states and government hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Ukraine and the Council of Europe human rights body signed an agreement on Wednesday forming the basis for a special tribunal intended to bring to justice senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed the accord in the French city of Strasbourg at the Council's headquarters. "This is truly a very important step. Every war criminal must know there will be justice and that includes Russia. We are now boosting the legal work in a serious way," Zelenskiy told the ceremony. "There is still a long road ahead. Today's agreement is just the beginning. We must take real steps to make it work. It will take strong political and legal cooperation to make sure every Russian war criminal faces justice, including (President Vladimir) Putin." Ukraine has demanded the creation of such a body since Russia's February 2022 invasion, accusing Russian troops of committing thousands of war crimes. It is also intent on prosecuting Russians for orchestrating the invasion. The 46-member Council of Europe, set up after World War Two to uphold human rights and the rule of law, approved the tribunal in May, saying it was intended to be complementary to the International Criminal Court and fill legal gaps in prosecutions. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Britain vows to toughen its trade defences under new strategy
Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo Britain vows to toughen its trade defences under new strategy LONDON - Britain said it would toughen up its trade defences to better protect industries amid a turbulent global outlook of trade wars and tariffs that has shaped its new trade strategy to be published on Thursday. Britain is set to partially implement a deal to remove some of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, but acknowledged that its trade remedies system needed to be more "agile, assertive, and accountable to guard British businesses against global turbulence". "The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest," Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. "Our trade strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm." As part of the strategy, the government will reform the Trade Remedies Authority. UK Steel has said that the TRA's current powers, under which it proposed to cap how much of certain kinds of steel could be imported, needed to be more robust, and welcomed the trade strategy as a "critical turning point". Britain is aiming to remove U.S. tariffs on steel imports under their agreement, although the implementation of the deal has not been finalised. The government has stepped in to take control of British Steel, and other industries are also seeking support, with AB Foods extending its deadline for deciding the fate of its Vivergo bioethanol plant to Thursday in the hope of a support package. The trade strategy is Britain's first since it has had an independent trade policy after leaving the European Union. The previous Conservative government hailed the opportunities of Brexit as it pursued several free trade agreements. While the Labour government, which came to power a year ago, has concluded free trade agreement talks with India and is making progress on another with the Gulf Cooperation Council, it said the new strategy would focus on quicker and more practical deals than the previous government did. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
