Ramush Haradinaj cannot be extradited to Albania

Photo: Reuters (2012)

Ramush Haradinaj cannot be extradited to Albania merely on account of having Albanian citizenship as it is not a basis for seeking extradition.

The Serbian Justice Ministry announced this, commenting on media reports that the Kosovo Albanian politician and former KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army") leader, whose extradition from France has been requested by Serbia, has recently been granted Albanian citizenship.

After two postponements, the appeals court in Colmar, France, will on Thursday announce a decision on a Serbian extradition request for Haradinaj, wanted by Belgrade for numerous war crimes committed in Kosovo and Metohija in the late 1990s.

The process against him has been launched in Serbia, which makes his reported newly acquired Albanian citizenship irrelevant, as France will decide on the request submitted by Serbia, the ministry's...