Bulgarian courts chew over Ceku custody

The district court in the Bulgarian town of Chustendil has suspended a hearing on extending Agim Ceku’s custody period. The Bulgarian prosecution is entitled to ask for the former Kosovo Liberation Army commander to be remanded in custody for up to 40 days. Bulgarian courts chew over Ceku custody In deciding on the matter, the Bulgarian court has at its disposal all the relevant legal documentation that has arrived from Belgrade and Pristina. All court documentation pertaining to the Ceku case has been translated into Bulgarian and sent to Chustendil, together with an application for Ceku’s extradition, B92 understands. The court will, for example, will be furnished with documentation outlining the criminal charges facing Ceku, and evidence that the proceedings in Serbia are based on. The former KLA leader is accused by the Serbian courts—the Nis District Court, to be precise—of command responsibility for the murder of 669 Serbs and 18 non-Albanians during 1998/99, and crime is qualified as genocide. Serbia and Bulgaria signed a bilateral agreement on reciprocal cooperation in combating all forms of serious crime in 2005. The agreement covered extradition of persons suspected or accused of serious crimes, which was why the Bulgarian authorities were unable to release Ceku instantly, as, for example, Slovenia had done. A letter has also arrived from Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Thaci, stating that Ceku has diplomatic immunity in the province, as a former head of government. A further letter is enclosed informing the Bulgarians that Ceku answers to UNMIK, together with a letter of support from former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi, in which he states that Ceku had come to Bulgarian at his invitation. Pristina is confident that the former KLA commander will be released during the course of the day and that talk of extradition to Belgrade is nothing but hot air. Albanian media state that Western diplomats have been engaged to help secure his release from custody. This is the fourth time that Ceku has been arrested on a Serbian Interpol warrant, having previously been detained in Slovenia, Hungary and Colombia, though Serbia has thus far failed to secure his extradition. U.S. strategic research agency Stratfor states that the Belgrade authorities could find themselves in a very awkward position if Bulgaria does extradite Ceku, as his transfer to Serbia could compromise the security of the Serb minority in Kosovo and spark tensions in the north of the province. Agim Ceku (FoNet, archive)

Bulgarian courts chew over Ceku custody

In deciding on the matter, the Bulgarian court has at its disposal all the relevant legal documentation that has arrived from Belgrade and Priština.

All court documentation pertaining to the Ceku case has been translated into Bulgarian and sent to Chustendil, together with an application for Ceku’s extradition, B92 understands.

The court will, for example, will be furnished with documentation outlining the criminal charges facing Ceku, and evidence that the proceedings in Serbia are based on.

The former KLA leader is accused by the Serbian courts—the Niš District Court, to be precise—of command responsibility for the murder of 669 Serbs and 18 non-Albanians during 1998/99, and crime is qualified as genocide.

Serbia and Bulgaria signed a bilateral agreement on reciprocal cooperation in combating all forms of serious crime in 2005. The agreement covered extradition of persons suspected or accused of serious crimes, which was why the Bulgarian authorities were unable to release Ceku instantly, as, for example, Slovenia had done.

A letter has also arrived from Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Thaci, stating that Ceku has diplomatic immunity in the province, as a former head of government.

A further letter is enclosed informing the Bulgarians that Ceku answers to UNMIK, together with a letter of support from former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi, in which he states that Ceku had come to Bulgarian at his invitation.

Priština is confident that the former KLA commander will be released during the course of the day and that talk of extradition to Belgrade is nothing but hot air. Albanian media state that Western diplomats have been engaged to help secure his release from custody.

This is the fourth time that Ceku has been arrested on a Serbian Interpol warrant, having previously been detained in Slovenia, Hungary and Colombia, though Serbia has thus far failed to secure his extradition.

U.S. strategic research agency Stratfor states that the Belgrade authorities could find themselves in a very awkward position if Bulgaria does extradite Ceku, as his transfer to Serbia could compromise the security of the Serb minority in Kosovo and spark tensions in the north of the province.