01 July 2013

On 28 June 2013 a panel of three local judges from the Pristina Basic Court formally accepted three plea agreements, which were reached between a EULEX and local prosecutor, working in a mixed team, and three defendants in a migrant smuggling case. A fourth defendant pleaded guilty in court. All charges relate to smuggling and attempted smuggling of migrants from Kosovo to the United States between 2009 and 2011. One defendant was acquitted, upon the prosecutors’ request. Another perpetrator related to this case was arrested in Albania in 2012 and extradited to the United States where he also pleaded guilty.

J.S. signed a plea agreement for one count of attempted smuggling of migrants and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.

B.N. signed a plea agreement for one count of attempted smuggling of migrants and one count of possessing fraudulent travel documents and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.

N.A. pleaded guilty in court to one count of smuggling of migrants, attempted smuggling of migrants and possessing fraudulent travel documents and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.

P.K. signed a guilty plea for smuggling of migrants, attempted smuggling of migrants and possessing fraudulent travel documents and was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment. P.

The case was prosecuted in a mixed team by a EULEX prosecutor and a local prosecutor from the Basic Prosecution Office Pristina.........