SERBIAN BODY ASKS FOR EXTRADITION OF KOSOVO ALBANIAN REBEL LEADER
FoNet - June 27, 2004

Belgrade, 27 June: The head of the coordination centre for southern Serbia, Nebojsa Covic, told FoNet today that "it seems that conditions have been met" for the former Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (OVPBM) commander, Shefket Musliu, to be extradited to the Serbian legal authorities.

The coordination centre has already launched an initiative for Musliu's extradition, Covic said.

Regarding a sentence passed by the international chamber of the Gnjilane District Court, which sentenced Musliu to 12 years in prison for kidnappings and extortion, Covic said that "a bill should also be sent from here" for what the former OVPBM commander had done.

Such an agreement had been reached with former heads of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Harri Holkeri and Michael Steiner, Covic said.

Musliu's closest associates, Besim Tahiri and Salih Carimi, were sentenced to seven and five years in prison for kidnappings.

All charges were dropped against the fourth member of the group, Jeton Arifi, due to insufficient evidence.

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1136 gmt 27 Jun 04

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