Erjon S., the 37-year-old Albanian arrested in Geluwe (Western Flanders) in August, for a murder he allegedly committed in Italy, has been extradited to Italy. The news published by the daily Het Nieuwsblad was confirmed by his attorney Jan Leyen on Thursday. “He landed in Italy on October 20th,” he told Belga press agency.
Erjon S. was arrested in Geluwe in August. He had been sentenced in absentia to 30 years’ imprisonment at the Court of Assizes in Bologna (Italy) in 2000, for the murder of a prostitute. He sought asylum in Belgium, using a false identity and date of birth, in the same year. He lived in Geluwe from 2006 and was raising a family there.
Extradition proceedings started after his August arrest. Erjon S.’s attorney, Mr. Leysen, agreed to the extradition to Italy in order to contest the 2000 sentence. The defence counsel is hoping to potentially obtain a lightening of the sentence, and for his client to be granted the right to serve the sentence in Belgium. “A new trial is to be scheduled in Italy very soon, hopefully in a month or 2,” according to Mr. Leysen. An Italian attorney will deal with the case locally.
(Source: Belga)
