Joran van der Sloot challenges extradition to the US from Peru for Natalee Holloway case

Joran van der Sloot is challenging his extradition from Peru to the United States. His Peruvian lawyer has announced this.

The 35-year-old Dutchman was convicted in Peru of the murder of a student, but has also been charged in the US with extortion of the family of Natalee Holloway, the girl who disappeared in 2005 after they had been together in a bar.

Last month, Peru announced that it will temporarily extradite Van der Sloot to the US because of the latter case. The delivery is scheduled for next Thursday. In the run-up to this, the Dutchman was moved to a prison in the Peruvian capital Lima last weekend.

Initially, Van der Sloot did not intend to challenge his extradition, but he has changed his mind, says his lawyer Máximo Altéz. According to him, this happened after a visit by employees of the Dutch embassy. They would have convinced him to appeal. An interim injunction is likely to be served today or tomorrow.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not confirm the involvement of the embassy. A spokesman says against The Telegraph unable to comment on individual cases. According to the spokesperson, the ministry does provide “consular assistance to all Dutch nationals in foreign detention who wish it, including visits”.