00:00Anti-Western activist Kemi Saber will remain in a South African jail until an extradition
00:06hearing next month, a judge in Pretoria ruled on Thursday. Saber and his son were arrested
00:12in April for attempting to leave South Africa on expired visas. A third co-defendant, South
00:19African white supremacist Francois van der Merwe, is accused of taking Russian money
00:24to help Saber. The activist is facing an extradition request from Benin, where he's
00:29accused of supporting a plot to overthrow former President Patrice Talon. His hearing in that
00:35case is set for July 14th. Ruling on the request for bail, the judge made clear that Thursday's
00:42hearing was solely related to the immigration charge, but he said the three defendants were
00:47a flight risk. Saber has previously argued that he avoided returning to Benin due to a well-founded
00:55fear for his life. He said his visa overstay should be viewed within the context of his
01:01asylum claim, not as an immigration offence.
