Former Kosovo leader Ceku arrested in Bulgaria

24 June, 2009, 17:21

Bulgarian police have arrested the former prime minister of Kosovo on an international police warrant issued at Serbia’s request. Agim Ceku is accused of war crimes by Serbia, which is now calling for his extradition.

Ceku, aged 59, was detained at the Gyushevo border checkpoint while crossing the Bulgarian border from Macedonia on Tuesday night. Currently he can be detained for up to 72 hours without charge.

Belgrade insists that Ceku committed war crimes in Serbian-led Kosovo in 1998-1999.

During this time he was the military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which consisted of ethnic Albanians and was, at the time, regarded as a guerilla group.

Read more

After the war, Ceku became a prominent figure in Kosovo, taking the Prime Minister's office in 2006 and actively promoting the region's independence.

Agim Ceku stepped down from the post last year – a month before Kosovo declared its independence.

Mr. Ceku is said to be held in custody in the Bulgarian city of Kyustendil on the west of the country where the local court will consider his case.

Ceku’s detention comes despite repeated demands from UN officials in Pristina that the Belgrade-issued warrant be dropped.

Last month Agim Ceku was deported from Colombia after he criticized Serbia for allegedly misusing its membership in Interpol. Before that, Ceku had been held overnight in prisons in Slovenia in 2003 and in Hungary in 2004.