Breadcrumb
Interpol 'drops arrest warrant for Ahlam al-Tamimi'
Tamimi is wanted by the US for her role in the 2001 bombing of a Jerusalem restaurant.
2 min read
Interpol has reportedly dropped its arrest warrant for Ahlam al-Tamimi, a Palestinian-Jordanian sought in the US for her role in the 2001 suicide bombing of an Israeli pizzeria.
A letter from the international policing body stated Tamimi was no longer "subject to notice" was published in Arabic-language media this week and later confirmed in a Facebook post by her husband, Nizar al-Tamimi.
Tamimi's residence in Jordan since her 2011 release from Israeli prison in a prisoner swap has been a source of friction between allies Amman and Washington.
The US Department of Justice filed indicted Palestinian-Jordanian in 2017 but Jordan has refused to extradite Tamimi, claiming the two countries do not share an extradition treaty.
Tamimi is listed among the FBI's "most wanted terrorists" due to her role in the killing of 15 people, including two American nationals, in the bombing of a Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a US-based NGO that works against anti-Semitism and for Holocaust research and remembrance, has condemned the decision by Interpol.
"Such an outrageous step would encourage further terrorism and deny justice and closure for the victims and survivors," said the center's director for international relations Shimon Samuels.
"Our Centre urges you to prevent INTERPOL from falling to Palestinian mayhem... Al-Tamimi must be returned to 'Most Wanted' status!" Samuels said in a statement this week.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected