Former Prime Minister Kosovo Ceku arrested in Bulgaria
Wed 24 Jun 2009
Bulgarian authorities have detained former Kosovo prime minister, Agim Ceku, on an international arrest warrant. Police said Ceku, the prime minister between 2006 and 2008, was taken into custody at the Gyueshevo border checkpoint while entering Bulgaria from Macedonia on Tuesday night. Mr Ceku, 59, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian guerrillas.
His warrant was issued by Interpol at Serbia's request. The prosecutor's office said Mr Ceku will be held in custody at least until Saturday in the western city of Kyustendil, where the district court will consider his case. Kosovo authorities said they have been in contact with Bulgarian officials to negotiate Mr Ceku's release. Kosovo's Interior Minister Zenun Pajaziti earlier sent a letter to Interpol and its member states, asking them not to allow such cases to be repeated in the future. The letter said that "Serbia has no jurisdiction over the Republic of Kosovo and its citizens". His arrest comes despite repeated requests from UN officials in Pristina that the Belgrade-issued warrant be disregarded. Most recently Mr Ceku was deported from Colombia, after which he criticised Serbia for misusing its Interpol membership. Before that he was held overnight in prisons in Slovenia in 2003 and Hungary in 2004, after which he was quickly released. Kosovo proclaimed independence last year and was recognised by most Western nations, including most of the EU, including Bulgaria, as well as the US.
Serbia's Ministry of Justice has submitted an official application for Ceku's extradition to the Bulgarian authorities.
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