United States seeks extradition of Mevlid Jašarević from Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered an 18-day detention for Mevlid Jašarević following an extradition request from the United States. Jašarević, a Serbian citizen, recently completed a 15-year prison sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a 2011 terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, which resulted in an injury to a police officer.

The U.S. government seeks his extradition to face charges in the District of Columbia, including attempted murder of embassy officials and diplomats, as well as destruction of property. While an indictment was filed in the U.S. in 2012, the legal proceedings in Bosnia and Herzegovina were conducted without knowledge of the American charges.

Legal defense counsel Alma Tabaković argues that the extradition request could violate the principle of 'ne bis in idem' (double jeopardy), claiming the U.S. charges are based on the same criminal acts for which Jašarević has already been fully sentenced. The defense also noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not extradite individuals to countries where they face the death penalty, though U.S. officials have provided assurances that such a penalty will not be sought in this case.