ROME -- The Italian government is reportedly negotiating with Algeria over extraditing an Algerian refugee who has been accused of murder and could face the death penalty in his home country. The Algerian national was arrested by Italian police earlier this month but has since been released, Il Fatto Quotidiano has reported.

 Hichem Riah, 46, was on holiday in Portofino on the Ligurian coastline when he was arrested at his hotel by Italian police. The Algerian government had previously issued an international arrest warrant for Riah after accusations he stabbed and killed another person in a fight. Riah could be sentenced to the death penalty back in Algeria.

  Riah has been living under refugee status in Switzerland for several years, with Greek authorities believed to be in favour of granting the Algerian international protection. But the Italian government is now negotiating with Algeria on Riah’s extradition, with Italy’s Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, reportedly in favour of sending Riah back to his home country.

  Extraditing foreign nationals who could face the death penalty in their own country is forbidden by Italian law, but Italy has relied on Algeria as its main provider of gas since the war in Ukraine. Ties between the two countries have also been strengthened by the Piano Mattei, a legislation which came into place in January 2024 which seeks to strengthen Italy’s political links with African states.

  Italy is seeking diplomatic assurances over Riah’s treatment should he be sent back to Algeria, a country where the death penalty remains in place but has not been enforced since 1993. Stefania Fiore, the lawyer representing Riah, has said Algerian reassurances would “mean nothing.”

 “It also hadn’t been considered that we’re talking about an asylum seeker to whom Switzerland had granted international protection”, she said.

  Nordio would reportedly be open to extraditing Riah on the condition the death penalty would not be enforced. But after a hearing last week, those reassurances were not met. On Friday, Riah was released from prison by Italy’s Court of Appeal.