Thailand seeks Malaysia's extradition of Iranian suspect

BANGKOK, February 21 (TNA) - With regards to an extradition request sent by Thailand's Office of the Attorney General via the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs to the Malaysia government, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Thani Thongphakdi said on Tuesday that all relevant documents have already been sent to the Thai Embassy to Malaysia. Thani, who is also Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Information, told journalists that the request will then be forwarded to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thani acknowledged that the process is legally based on the Extradition Treaty between the Great Britain and Siam of 1911. The treaty was proceeded to Malaysia in 1959, after the neighbouring country became independence from the Great Britain in 1957. According to the spokesman, Malaysia shows signs of willingness to cooperate with Thailand on the extradition of an Iranian man, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, who is suspected to have involved in a spate of three bomb blasts in Bangkok on February 14 and has been detained in Malaysia. The issue was also raised by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at a meeting with her Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, when she paid a one-day official visit to the neighbouring country. (TNA)