Skopje, 31 July 2024 (MIA) – Justice Minister Igor Filkov stated Wednesday that he has signed extradition requests for Alil Demiri and Afrim Ismailovic, who have been sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism offences. He explained that these requests have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice in Kosovo, and they are currently awaiting a reply.

He noted that an extradition request for Alil Demiri and Afrim Ismailovic was first submitted to the Republic of Kosovo on March 15, 2013, but it was rejected.

“The first request for the extradition of Alil Demiri and Afrim Ismailovic from the Republic of Kosovo was submitted on March 15, 2013. This request was rejected by the Basic Court in Pristina in October 2015, and the decision was confirmed by the Kosovo Court of Appeals in January 2016. A renewed extradition request was submitted on September 5, 2018,” Filkov stated.

He noted that on October 8, 2021, a notification was received from the Ministry of Justice of Kosovo stating that the extradition request for Ismailovic was rejected, while no response was provided for Demiri.

"Everything requested from the authorities in Kosovo in the legal procedures was submitted. Kosovo sent official responses rejecting Ismailovic's extradition twice, in February 2016 and October 2021. An official response for Demiri was received from Kosovo in February 2016. After six years, we are once more requesting their extradition," Filkov said.

Alil Demiri, Afrim Ismailovic, and Agim Ismailovic were sentenced to life imprisonment in the “Monster” case. The defendant Fejzi Aziri received a 15-year prison sentence, while Haki Aziri was sentenced to 9 years. Only the defendant Sami Ljuta was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Ismailovic and Demiri are charged as two of the three direct perpetrators of the murders at Smilkovsko Lake. They are in Kosovo, and arrest warrants have been issued for them. Despite assurances from Prishtina, they have not yet been extradited to our country.

In response to a journalist's question about whether extradition will be sought for former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Filkov stated that all extradition cases are monitored closely. He explained that when the conditions are met, extradition requests will be filed, but not in a targeted manner against a specific individual. Instead, the focus is on all individuals who are outside the country and for whom an international arrest warrant has been issued.

Photo: MIA archive