A French appeal court has approved the extradition to the United States of James Kopp. Mr Kopp is an anti-abortion activist suspected of the murder of a US gynaecologist. The decision came after US Attorney General, John Ashcroft, promised that 46-year-old Mr Kopp would not face the death penalty if brought back to stand trial.
Mr Kopp is accused of shooting 52-year-old Dr Barnet Slepian in front of his wife and children on 23 October 1998 in Amherst, New York State. He has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for the past two years. James Kopp has the right to appeal, but his lawyers say he has not yet decided. Mr Kopp was arrested in France in March after two-and-a-half years on the run.
He narrowly avoided apprehension in Ireland, where he spent nearly a year living in hostels. The FBI said that he led a "somewhat lonely life" in Ireland, working in clerical jobs and moving from hostel to hostel. He is also a suspect in three non-fatal shootings in Canada and one in the US.
