The court in Rennes ruled that James Kopp, 46, an American...

The court in Rennes ruled that James Kopp, 46, an American fugitive wanted in New York for the murder of Barnett Slepian, an abortion doctor, there in 1998, can be extradited to the United States as long as he would not face the death penalty if convicted. Kopp, is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. Washington sent the court a letter through its Paris embassy declaring the death penalty would not be sought. U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft said he had agreed to this "to ensure that Kopp is not released from custody and is brought to justice in America."
Kopp's lawyer Herve Rouzaud-Leboeuf declined to say whether he would lodge an appeal but said he would remain vigilant. "Given what we know of the opinions of the current American president concerning the death penalty, we must stay very vigilant," he told journalists after the court session. "The American government is now obliged to respect the commitment it made that it will not seek the death penalty because international law now demands that."