Serbia requests extradition of war crimes suspect

Swiss Justice Ministry will investigate whether there are conditions for extradition of Shemsi Nuri, who is wanted by Serbia for crimes in Kosovo. Nuri was arrested in Switzerland on April 14 on Serbian arrest warrant. The indictment accuses him of a series of brutal murders. Serbia requests extradition of war crimes suspect Swiss dailies write that the “issue is very sensitive due to political background”. According to Geneva-based daily Le Temps, famous Swiss layers Jacques Barillon, Ludovic Tirelli and Valerie Pasch Havel will defend the accused. They have promised that they will object Serbia’s request to extradite their client. “I have accepted to defend him because my client pointed out that he did not know anything about these crimes. I never would have accepted it otherwise,” Barillon said. He also stressed that the Serbian authorities did not have the right to request his client’s extradition, that he was concerned about political motives and that his client had an alibi. Nuri was born in 1975 and has been living in Switzerland for ten years. He has both Serbian and Kosovo passport. He is accused of “especially gruesome war crimes” against Serb and Albanian population in the town of Gnjilane in Kosovo. The Geneva-based daily writes that the suspect is accused of being involved in killings, rapes and other forms of sexual abuse and extremely violent acts of torture. According to numerous documents, he and his accomplices ripped two persons apart by tying them to cars which they drove in opposite directions. Nuri then cut the victims’ bodies in pieces and threw them in a lake. According to Le Temps, the accused has an alibi and he has submitted documents which show that he “was living and working in Macedonia at the time the crimes he has been accused of were committed, taking care of his sick brother who later died”. Albanians from Serbia and Kosovo have called on Switzerland not to extradite the suspect to Serbia because he would not have a “fair trial” there.

Serbia requests extradition of war crimes suspect

Swiss dailies write that the “issue is very sensitive due to political background”.

According to Geneva-based daily Le Temps, famous Swiss layers Jacques Barillon, Ludovic Tirelli and Valerie Pasch Havel will defend the accused.

They have promised that they will object Serbia’s request to extradite their client.

“I have accepted to defend him because my client pointed out that he did not know anything about these crimes. I never would have accepted it otherwise,” Barillon said.

He also stressed that the Serbian authorities did not have the right to request his client’s extradition, that he was concerned about political motives and that his client had an alibi.

Nuri was born in 1975 and has been living in Switzerland for ten years. He has both Serbian and Kosovo passport.

He is accused of “especially gruesome war crimes” against Serb and Albanian population in the town of Gnjilane in Kosovo.

The Geneva-based daily writes that the suspect is accused of being involved in killings, rapes and other forms of sexual abuse and extremely violent acts of torture.

According to numerous documents, he and his accomplices ripped two persons apart by tying them to cars which they drove in opposite directions. Nuri then cut the victims’ bodies in pieces and threw them in a lake.

According to Le Temps, the accused has an alibi and he has submitted documents which show that he “was living and working in Macedonia at the time the crimes he has been accused of were committed, taking care of his sick brother who later died”.

Albanians from Serbia and Kosovo have called on Switzerland not to extradite the suspect to Serbia because he would not have a “fair trial” there.