Serbia requests extradition of killer of Swedish FM

Serbia has requested the extradition of the killer of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh from Sweden to Serbia, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheder (Daily News) reported on Saturday.

The request to extradite Mijailo Mijailovic, 28, who stabbed Lindh at least seven times in the stomach, chest and arms while the latter was shopping with her friend in central Stockholm on Sept. 10, 2003, was made by the Serbian Foreign Ministry recently, the report said.

Lindh died at a hospital the next morning, and Mijailovic was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004.

The Swedish government has yet to respond officially to the request. B Swedish officials said the government would likely turn down the request.

Mijailovic, a Serbian citizen who renounced his Swedish citizenship in 2004, has requested to serve his prison term in the Balkan country, citing concern about his own safety in Sweden.

Under Swedish law, a person of foreign origin who has committed a serious crime in Sweden can serve his sentence elsewhere if there would be a safety risk staying in the country.

Sweden has an extradition agreement with Serbia for transferring prisoners there.

Source: Xinhua