Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SARAJEVO838
2009-07-10 13:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sarajevo
Cable title:
BOSNIA - CONVICTED TERRORIST BEKTASEVIC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHVJ #0838 1911300 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 101300Z JUL 09 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0488 INFO RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0024 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000838
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (FOOKS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PTER BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - CONVICTED TERRORIST BEKTASEVIC
TRANSFERRED TO SWEDISH PRISON
REF: SARAJEVO 1405
Classified By: Charge Judith Cefkin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000838
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (FOOKS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PTER BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - CONVICTED TERRORIST BEKTASEVIC
TRANSFERRED TO SWEDISH PRISON
REF: SARAJEVO 1405
Classified By: Charge Judith Cefkin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Mirsad Bektasevic, a dual Bosnian-Swedish citizen who
was convicted in a Bosnian court on charges of terrorism in
2007 (Reftel),successfully petitioned the Bosnian court to
serve out the remainder of his prison sentence in Sweden, and
was transferred from Bosnia to Sweden on June 10, 2009.
Bektasevic and three co-defendants were arrested near
Sarajevo in October, 2005 based on information provided by
the USG. Among the items confiscated in the raid on their
safe house were explosive material and a crudely fashioned
suicide belt, and they were accused of plotting terrorist
acts in Europe. Bosnian prosecutors, with assistance from an
Embassy Legatt and a Department of Justice Advisor, succeeded
in obtaining a terrorism conviction for Bektasevic in January
2007 with a prison sentence of 15 years. The sentence was
later reduced to eight years, by an appeals panel which ruled
that the initial sentence did not take into account
mitigating factors such as Bektasevic's age (he was 19 when
he was arrested).
2. (C) According to a contact at the Swedish Embassy,
Bektasevic contacted the Swedish Embassy soon after he was
convicted in 2007 and requested that the Embassy support his
request to serve his sentence in Sweden. The Swedish
government agreed, and earlier this year Bektasevic's motion
to serve out his sentence in Sweden was approved by the
Bosnian State appellate court. We understand that Bektasevic
was handed over to the custody of Swedish police at the
Sarajevo airport on June 10. Our Swedish Embassy contact did
not know the details of Bektasevic's incarceration in Sweden,
but noted that Swedish prisoners can normally file for early
release after serving two thirds of their sentence.
CEFKIN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE (FOOKS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PTER BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - CONVICTED TERRORIST BEKTASEVIC
TRANSFERRED TO SWEDISH PRISON
REF: SARAJEVO 1405
Classified By: Charge Judith Cefkin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Mirsad Bektasevic, a dual Bosnian-Swedish citizen who
was convicted in a Bosnian court on charges of terrorism in
2007 (Reftel),successfully petitioned the Bosnian court to
serve out the remainder of his prison sentence in Sweden, and
was transferred from Bosnia to Sweden on June 10, 2009.
Bektasevic and three co-defendants were arrested near
Sarajevo in October, 2005 based on information provided by
the USG. Among the items confiscated in the raid on their
safe house were explosive material and a crudely fashioned
suicide belt, and they were accused of plotting terrorist
acts in Europe. Bosnian prosecutors, with assistance from an
Embassy Legatt and a Department of Justice Advisor, succeeded
in obtaining a terrorism conviction for Bektasevic in January
2007 with a prison sentence of 15 years. The sentence was
later reduced to eight years, by an appeals panel which ruled
that the initial sentence did not take into account
mitigating factors such as Bektasevic's age (he was 19 when
he was arrested).
2. (C) According to a contact at the Swedish Embassy,
Bektasevic contacted the Swedish Embassy soon after he was
convicted in 2007 and requested that the Embassy support his
request to serve his sentence in Sweden. The Swedish
government agreed, and earlier this year Bektasevic's motion
to serve out his sentence in Sweden was approved by the
Bosnian State appellate court. We understand that Bektasevic
was handed over to the custody of Swedish police at the
Sarajevo airport on June 10. Our Swedish Embassy contact did
not know the details of Bektasevic's incarceration in Sweden,
but noted that Swedish prisoners can normally file for early
release after serving two thirds of their sentence.
CEFKIN