Rrapo’s extradition opens row with courts

TIRANA, Nov. 29 – Last week Albanian authorities handed over to U.S. authorities Almir Rrapo, a former aide to the country’s then Foreign Minister Ilir Meta.
Rrapo is charged in the U.S. with murder, kidnapping and racketeering.
But on Friday, two days later, Albania’s Supreme Court annulled the extradition order and decided he be re-judged from the start.
The Strasbourg Human Rights Court had asked Albanian authorities to suspend the extradition until the Albanian Supreme Court delivered its ruling.
Justice Minister Bujar Nishani did not wait for that but signed the transfer of the suspect to U.S .authorities.
In a letter sent to the Albanian Ministry of Justice, Erik Friberg, the registrar of the human rights court, expressed disappointment in the name of the court’s president Jean Paul Costa with the decision of the Albanian authorities, “in disrespect of the court interim measure” to halt the extradition.
“The president is deeply disturbed at this development and is particularly concerned about its implications for the authority of the court and the unfortunate message which it sends to other contracting states,” writes Friberg.
Rrapo’s lawyers had contested his extradition, arguing that the Albanian authorities had not received guarantees by the U.S. Justice Department that the defendant would not receive the death penalty in a U.S. court.
Albanian prosecutor’s office they had received that guarantee.
US authorities, meanwhile, were pleased with the extradition and praised Albania’s support.
Manhattan District Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement that he was “thankful for the cooperation of the Albanian National Police and for all of our law enforcement partners across the globe who work tirelessly to put criminals behind bars, where they belong.”
Rrapo was arrested by Albanian police inside the U.S. embassy in Tirana on July 2.
He worked previously as an aide to former foreign minister Ilir Meta, who currently serves as the country’s economy minister.
He is alleged to have been part of a racketeering group known as the Krasniqi Organization, 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.