Belgrade, 8 May (AKI) – French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner was blamed in the Serbian media on Friday for blocking the extradition of former Kosovo military commander and prime minister Agim Ceku.
Ceku was arrested in Colombian city of Cartagena on Wednesday, based on a Serbian arrest warrant for crimes allegedly committed against Serbs and other non-Albanians during Kosovo’s rebellion against Serbian rule in 1999.
He has been accused by Serbian authorities of war crimes. However, Colombian authorities said that according to local law, Ceku could not be extradited to Serbia for acts committed before 2005.
The authorities instead extradited Ceku to France and banned his re-entry for ten years. Paris, in turn, allowed him to travel to Croatia because he has a Croatian passport.
The Belgrade daily Danas said that Kouchner was a key figure in preventing Ceku’s extradition to Serbia.
Kouchner was the first head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) after withdrawal of Serbian forces from the province and is regarded in Serbia as pro-Albanian.
Ceku told journalists that the warrant for his arrest was “just another attempt from Serbia to undermine Kosovo as a state” and to portray him “as a criminal”.
Ceku was arrested on two previous occasions in 2003 and 2004 in Slovenia and Hungary based on a Serbian Interpol arrest warrant but was quickly released under international pressure.
Kosovo declared independence last year with the support of western powers, but Belgrade is fighting a diplomatic battle to retain the province under its control.
Serbian police on Thursday demanded the extradition of Ceku from France.
Ceku fought on Croatian side against the Yugoslav army in 1991-1995 war that followed the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. He acquired a rank of general in the Croatian army and is married to a Croat woman.
“After all, the question is whether the international warrant against Ceku is valid at all,” said Belgrade daily Kurir.
The paper suggested that Ceku may have been taken off the Interpol wanted list when he became prime minister in 2006. He was replaced as premier by Hasim Taci last year. »
voilà où il faut aller pour lire des infos !!!
un comble, la France st le pays de la liberté d’expression et pas un papier sur ce scandale !!!!
Putain ! mais c’est quoi ce régime de merde dans lequel on vit ???
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http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.3292909234
Belgrade, 8 May (AKI) – French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner was blamed in the Serbian media on Friday for blocking the extradition of former Kosovo military commander and prime minister Agim Ceku.
Ceku was arrested in Colombian city of Cartagena on Wednesday, based on a Serbian arrest warrant for crimes allegedly committed against Serbs and other non-Albanians during Kosovo’s rebellion against Serbian rule in 1999.
He has been accused by Serbian authorities of war crimes. However, Colombian authorities said that according to local law, Ceku could not be extradited to Serbia for acts committed before 2005.
The authorities instead extradited Ceku to France and banned his re-entry for ten years. Paris, in turn, allowed him to travel to Croatia because he has a Croatian passport.
The Belgrade daily Danas said that Kouchner was a key figure in preventing Ceku’s extradition to Serbia.
Kouchner was the first head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) after withdrawal of Serbian forces from the province and is regarded in Serbia as pro-Albanian.
Ceku told journalists that the warrant for his arrest was “just another attempt from Serbia to undermine Kosovo as a state” and to portray him “as a criminal”.
Ceku was arrested on two previous occasions in 2003 and 2004 in Slovenia and Hungary based on a Serbian Interpol arrest warrant but was quickly released under international pressure.
Kosovo declared independence last year with the support of western powers, but Belgrade is fighting a diplomatic battle to retain the province under its control.
Serbian police on Thursday demanded the extradition of Ceku from France.
Ceku fought on Croatian side against the Yugoslav army in 1991-1995 war that followed the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. He acquired a rank of general in the Croatian army and is married to a Croat woman.
“After all, the question is whether the international warrant against Ceku is valid at all,” said Belgrade daily Kurir.
The paper suggested that Ceku may have been taken off the Interpol wanted list when he became prime minister in 2006. He was replaced as premier by Hasim Taci last year. »