Italy judge keeps Eritrean migrant smuggling suspect in jail

Medhanie Yehdego Mered (C), 35, is pictured with Italian policemen as they land at Palermo airport, Italy, following his arrest in Khartoum, Sudan, in this picture released on June 8, 2016 by Italian Police Department. Italian Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

PALERMO, Italy (Reuters) - An Eritrean man extradited to Italy from Sudan last week and accused of being a human-trafficking boss will have to stay in jail, a judge in Palermo ruled on Tuesday.

British and Italian authorities, who joined forces in the deportation, hailed it as a rare victory in the fight against smuggling, but the man's lawyer, family and friends said it was a case of mistaken identity.