Skopje urges extradition of Africa Ismailovich from Pristina

According to the Northern Macedonia Ministry of Interior Affairs, Africa Ismajlovovic has been detained by Kosovo Police on Friday after a traffic accident in the Pristina neighbourhood of Hajval.

The MPB's international police co-operation sector has been informed by Kosovo police of the ban on Africa Ismailovich, against whom international arrest had been declared. Macedonian police are awaiting his extradition after the 48 hour ban is put on hold.

Ismailovic's extradition also called for the prime minister, Zoran Zaev.

“We have since requested extradition, and we expect Kosovo's new power to respect the international agreements Kosovo and the Republic of Northern Macedonia have pledged. This will enhance the co-operation between the two countries. I expect Kosovo's friendly power, to respect the right and international agreements and extradite the person”, said the prime minister, Zoran Zaev.

In addition to Africa Ismailovici, according to Macedonian authorities in Kosovo, there is Alil Demiri, another sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of “Monstra”.

These two people, along with three others, have been found guilty of killing five Macedonians on April 12th 2012, near Smilkova Lake, about 12km from Skopje.

Agim Ismailovic, Afrem Ismailovic's brother, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, while two others -- Feyzi and Haki Ashir -- the court sentenced them to 15 and nine years in prison.

Three of them were condemned for the <x0-95 terrorism and destabilisation” and the other two for help in carrying out the work. Another person has been acquitted of prosecution in absence of evidence.

The court's ruling has triggered reactions in the courtroom, both from the defence side and the convicts, while protests on the road to Skopje have escalated into violence.

The convicts' family members, the protection party, but opposition political parties also claimed it was meant for the planned occasion and that convicts are not the real authors of the killing of five young Macedonians, but, according to them, other structures, aimed at destabilising northern Macedonia through this act.

Even Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, while in opposition, had sometimes cast doubts about the perpetrators of this serious murder. / REL