Cablegate: Boskoski Transferred to the Hague

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000475

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI, EUR/SCE
THE HAGUE FOR JOHNSON AND KAYE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KAWC PREL MK HR
SUBJECT: BOSKOSKI TRANSFERRED TO THE HAGUE

REF: A) 04 ZAGREB 829 B)04 ZAGREB 933 C) 04 ZAGREB 1567

1. (U) Croatian authorities today transferred Former
Macedonian Interior Minister Ljubo Boskoski to the custody of
the ICTY in The Hague. Croatian authorities had been holding
Boskoski in a Pula prison since August of 2004 on charges
stemming from the murder of seven Pakistanis in Macedonia in
2002. Per reftels, Boskoski was being brought up on these
charges in Croatia because he holds Croatian citizenship and
therefore could not be extradited to Macedonia to face these
charges there. Croatian law allows for the extradition of
its citizens to the ICTY and other international tribunals.

2. (SBU) The ICTY representative office in Zagreb told Poloff
that the actual transfer went smoothly. Boskoski had waived
his right to contest or appeal his extradition, which
simplified the proceedings considerably. The court in Pula
carefully but expeditiously suspended the domestic criminal
case and released Boskoski to Interpol custody. Boskoski was
escorted by Interpol officers on a direct Zagreb-Amsterdam
flight and turned over to Dutch custody on arrival.
FRANK

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