The Kosovar court in Gnjilane has ruled that the country can extradite Albanian Baki Sadiki to Slovakia. Yet, it is possible that Sadiki will appeal against the verdict, the Tvnoviny.sk website reported on December 3.
Slovakia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has welcomed the verdict, saying it is another important step in extraditing Sadiki to Slovakia. The ministry stressed that Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák “continues to use his personal contacts with the aim of achieving the aforementioned goal”, reads the official press release of the ministry.
The ministry added that they hope the Kosovar government will accept the verdict of the court and extradite Sadiki soon.
Sadiki, one of three men accused in a particularly serious case of illegal production, possession and trading in narcotics and, more specifically, smuggling heroin from Turkey to Slovakia hidden in imported beach sandals, was sentenced in absentia to 22 years’ imprisonment by Prešov District Court on June 13, 2011.
After several years at large, he was arrested within an international Interpol police operation called Infrared on October 25. He was put into extradition custody and is now waiting to be sent back to Slovakia. Shortly after Sadiki’s detention Lajčák said that nothing stood in the way of his extradition back to Slovakia. Yet, some in the media have warned that the fact that Slovakia has yet to officially recognise Kosovo as an independent state could complicate the extradition.
Source: Tvnoviny.sk
For more information about this story please see: Sadiki’s arrest
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
