The Aug. 22 Supreme Court ruling effectively voids Sani's conviction, leaving his fate in the hands of his home country's justice system.

Legal observers say the case raises two questions: why Czech law allows foreigners to be tried at home for crimes committed in the Czech Republic and why Nemec chose to invoke the law in Sani's case.

In April, Nemec said Sani's case had "complicated relations" between Qatar and the Czech Republic. But the Foreign Ministry failed to echo those worries. Nemec's representative was unavailable for comment.

Vladimír Balas, lecturer in international law at Charles University, said that he believes Nemec is making a mistake in extraditing Sani but that Czech law gives him the right to do so. "The law on extradition was drafted too broadly when legislation was rewritten a year and a half ago to be compatible with the EU," Balas said.

Currently, between 20 and 50 foreigners a year, mainly Slovaks, are sent home for trial in their own countries. In the past the cases were handled according to bilateral treaties, Balas said, and often involved tourists.

"We have no treaty with Qatar," Balas said. "Sani lived here."

The Sani case put Nemec at odds with prosecutors and the trial judge, who said Nemec had not followed judicial procedure when he first ordered the release of Sani April 4. The order came just two days after Sani was charged, a circumstance Supreme State Attorney Marie Benesová called suspicious. She then asked police to investigate.

Police said Sani, who had lived in the Czech Republic 15 years, paid 17 girls 2,000 Kc each to have sex with him in his flat between 2002 and 2004. Four of the girls were under the legal age of consent, 15.

Sani, who was residing in the Czech Republic as a private businessman, had no diplomatic immunity. Nemec said Qatari officials have promised to prosecute Sani fully in their court system.