The Ministry of Justice has officially acknowledged that only now has the request for the extradition of Ermal Beqiraj been signed and sent to the French authorities. The move comes after it became public that, although he had been located in France, the formal procedure had still not been sent.
The request was sent after the delay was publicly identified
In its official response, the Ministry said the signature authorizing the request was made today and the documentation was forwarded to the competent authorities in France.
The development raises questions about the pace of the institutions, since only a day earlier it had been reported that the formal extradition procedures had not begun, even though Ermal Beqiraj had been located on French territory.
What the Ministry of Justice claims
According to the official version, the request was sent in accordance with Albanian legislation, international agreements and the procedures of judicial cooperation with France.
The Ministry clarified that the extradition documentation was forwarded to the institution by the prosecuting body and was then sent to the French side together with the relevant case file.
How the procedure works
According to the clarification provided by the Ministry, the procedure begins after the competent authorities notify the localization or arrest of the person in the foreign state and of the deadline within which the formal extradition request must be submitted.
After that, the competent prosecution office submits the request and the procedural documentation, while the relevant structure at the Ministry of Justice verifies the file, carries out the necessary translations and prepares the material for signature.
After this phase is completed, the minister signs the request for provisional arrest when necessary and/or the extradition request, which is forwarded to the requested state through diplomatic channels.
Deadlines and legal basis
The Ministry stressed that the extradition request is based on the request of the competent prosecution office, on the Code of Criminal Procedure, on the law on jurisdiction in relations with foreign authorities, and on the applicable international instruments.
According to the same institution, the deadlines are determined by international conventions, especially the European Convention on Extradition, which provides for a 40-day deadline after arrest or provisional detention for the submission of the formal request and documentation.
At this stage, the procedure remains to be reviewed by the French authorities in accordance with that country’s legislation and the mechanisms of international cooperation.
Beyond the official notice, the fact that the request was sent only now once again puts the delayed reaction of Albanian institutions in matters requiring swift action and full coordination into focus.