Joran van der Sloot appeals extradition to US for Natalee Holloway case while serving time in Peru for murder of Stephany Flores

Joran van der Sloot is still appealing against his extradition to the United States. His lawyer in Peru, where the 35-year-old Dutchman is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence, has announced Tuesday.

Van der Sloot was convicted in Peru for the murder of student Stephany Flores in 2010, but must also stand trial in the US for the disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005. will temporarily extradite the Holloway case to the US. Initially, Van der Sloot did not intend to challenge his extradition, according to his lawyer, but he would have changed his mind after a visit from Dutch diplomats. They allegedly convinced him to challenge the extradition.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says he cannot respond substantively to the possible visit of Dutch diplomats to Van der Sloot. In a general sense, he says that the ministry does not interfere in a country’s local legal process. “We do provide consular assistance to Dutch nationals in foreign detention and that includes visits. But we cannot comment further on individual cases.”

Natalee Holloway disappeared in 2005 after a night out in Aruba and was last seen with Van der Sloot. Her body was never found and seven years later a US judge decided to declare her dead. Van der Sloot has never been prosecuted for the disappearance, but is seen as the main suspect.

Drug smuggling

Van der Sloot is said to have promised Holloway’s family where to find Natalee’s body. In return, the family would have paid $ 250,000 (converted about 233,000 euros). After this payment, Van der Sloot left for Peru, without giving Holloway’s family the promised information. Once there, he murdered Stephany Flores in a hotel room in the Peruvian capital of Lima. In the US, Van der Sloot is now accused of extortion and fraud.

In February of this year, another eighteen years in prison was demanded against Van der Sloot for smuggling drugs to the prison in Peru where he is detained. His girlfriend Eva Pacohuanaco would have tried to get 300 grams of cocaine and 140 grams of marijuana into prison. Escorts intercepted the cargo, which was hidden in thirteen beets. Pacohuanaco also risks a prison sentence of eighteen years.