Ceku back in Kosovo
Agim Ceku, the former Kosovo prime minister who arrested at the Macedonian-Bulgarian border on June 23 2009 on an Interpol red warrant issued at the request of Serbia for Ceku to face war crimes charges, returned to Kosovo on June 30 after his release by a Bulgarian court formally took effect.
On June 25, the district court in the south-western Bulgarian town of Kyustendil released Ceku from custody. Prosecutors had three working days to appeal against the finding in the appellate court in Sofia. After they did not do so, his release from custody was confirmed.
Ceku’s return to Kosovo was confirmed in an announcement by the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo.
His release by Bulgaria was the fourth time that a country has declined to extradite him to Serbia for prosecution. Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, does not deem Serbia to have jurisdiction over Kosovo citizens.
Within a day of Ceku’s arrest, Serbia’s justice ministry sent Sofia a request for his extradition.
Serbian news agency Beta said that the charges against Ceku dated from when he was commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, and is alleged to be responsible for the murder of 669 Serbs and 18 members of other non-Albanian ethnic communities.
After the Kyustendil court released Ceku, Serbian justice minister Slobodan Holmen said, while awaiting confirmation of the release, that such a decision by the court meant that a political decision had overcome international law.
"As for us, the most important thing is that, for such a serious crime, that of genocide, there is no statute of limitations and we are convinced that, sooner of later, Ceku will be brought to justice in Serbia and will be tried for the war crimes committed," Homen said.
Ceku had been attempting to enter Bulgaria at the invitation of Solomon Passi, head of Parliament’s foreign policy committee. Passi said that the two were working together on issues linked to Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
Speaking to journalists in Pristina, Ceku said: "If there is anything positive in this case, it is that I was not released as a result of the good will of the Bulgarian Government but as a result of court proceedings." He said that from now on, anywhere he goes he will take a copy of the Bulgarian court’s decision and present it to the respective authorities.
On June 25, the district court in the south-western Bulgarian town of Kyustendil released Ceku from custody. Prosecutors had three working days to appeal against the finding in the appellate court in Sofia. After they did not do so, his release from custody was confirmed.
Ceku’s return to Kosovo was confirmed in an announcement by the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo.
His release by Bulgaria was the fourth time that a country has declined to extradite him to Serbia for prosecution. Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, does not deem Serbia to have jurisdiction over Kosovo citizens.
Within a day of Ceku’s arrest, Serbia’s justice ministry sent Sofia a request for his extradition.
Serbian news agency Beta said that the charges against Ceku dated from when he was commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, and is alleged to be responsible for the murder of 669 Serbs and 18 members of other non-Albanian ethnic communities.
After the Kyustendil court released Ceku, Serbian justice minister Slobodan Holmen said, while awaiting confirmation of the release, that such a decision by the court meant that a political decision had overcome international law.
"As for us, the most important thing is that, for such a serious crime, that of genocide, there is no statute of limitations and we are convinced that, sooner of later, Ceku will be brought to justice in Serbia and will be tried for the war crimes committed," Homen said.
Ceku had been attempting to enter Bulgaria at the invitation of Solomon Passi, head of Parliament’s foreign policy committee. Passi said that the two were working together on issues linked to Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
Speaking to journalists in Pristina, Ceku said: "If there is anything positive in this case, it is that I was not released as a result of the good will of the Bulgarian Government but as a result of court proceedings." He said that from now on, anywhere he goes he will take a copy of the Bulgarian court’s decision and present it to the respective authorities.