A Zimbabwean diplomat said his government is working to quickly extradite Eden Prairie hunter Walter Palmer, who allegedly shot and killed Cecil the Lion, a well-known research lion, the Star Tribune reports.
Deputy Chief of Mission at Zimbabwe’s embassy in Washington D.C. Richard Chibuwe told the Star Tribune on Monday that his nation’s prosecutors have been in touch with American authorities on bringing a hasty extradition to Palmer, the Star Tribune reported.
“We are hoping that things will move with a bit of speed,” Chibuwe told the Star Tribune.
The U.S. and Zimbabwe signed an extradition treaty in 2000, but it has yet to be acted upon.
“The United States must initiate extradition proceedings and give over a citizen to a foreign country for prosecution,” wrote CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos in an Aug. 1 report.
Zimbabwe is also seeking Jan Seski, a Pittsburgh-based doctor, for allegedly killing another lion in April, the BBC reported. Seski was linked to the shooting when images on websites linked Seski to a hunting show.