CoE reprimands Albanian’s extradition to US

TIRANA, Dec. 1 – David Darchiashvili, Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, expressed his deep concern at the decision to extradite Almir Rrapo despite a binding interim measure ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to halt the extradition.
Last week Albanian authorities handed Rrapo over to the U.S. Marshals Service to stand trial in the United States on murder, kidnapping and racketeering charges.
Courts approved the transfer despite claims by Rrapo’s lawyers that he could face the death penalty if extradited.
The former senior aide to Albania’s deputy prime minister was arrested in July following a U.S. request. Rrapo is accused of being part of an international crime organization that engaged in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, arson and other crimes, mostly in the New York area.
“The Parliamentary Assembly will debate this issue at its January session and will certainly take a clear stand strongly condemning the unacceptable disregard of European Convention on Human Rights requirements,” Darchiashvili said.
Rrapo is alleged to have been part of a racketeering group known as the Krasniqi Organisation, led by brothers Bruno and Saimir Krasniqi, which operated in New York, Connecticut and Michigan.
Rrapo denied the charges during his extradition hearings in Tirana.