US seeks extradition of Sarajevo embassy attacker as jail term ends
Washington has asked Bosnia to extradite Mevlid Jasarevic over his 2011 attack on the US embassy in Sarajevo, as his 15-year prison sentence expires this week.
United States authorities have asked Bosnia and Herzegovina to extradite Mevlid Jasarevic, who carried out a terrorist attack on the US embassy in Sarajevo in 2011, as his 15-year prison sentence handed down by the Bosnian state court for that attack is due to expire this week, Klix.ba reported, citing Radio Free Europe.
US authorities are seeking Jasarevic's extradition over an indictment accusing him of attempted murder of American officials during the 2011 attack, Klix.ba and Srpskainfo reported. The extradition request was submitted a day before his sentence was due to end, and a hearing to decide on extradition detention was scheduled for the following morning, according to Klix.ba.
The US indictment against Jasarevic was filed in 2012 and includes charges of attempted murder of US officials, assault on US officials and employees with a deadly weapon, destruction of property and firearms-related offences, Klix.ba reported. The indictment, originally brought by Bosnian judicial authorities and the basis for his 15-year sentence, was supported by US authorities at the time it was filed.
Jasarevic, a Serbian national described in Croatian outlet 24sata as a self-declared member of a radical Wahhabi movement, opened fire with a machine gun on the embassy building on 28 October 2011, firing more than a hundred rounds from the street for almost half an hour before a police sniper disabled him with a shot to the leg. A police officer guarding the embassy was seriously wounded in the attack, 24sata reported. Before the attack, he recorded a farewell message saying he wanted to force the US government to abandon its military involvement in Afghanistan, according to 24sata; a Bosnian court classified the act as terrorism.
While serving his sentence, Jasarevic faced a separate indictment accusing him of threatening and obstructing prison staff on two occasions in 2024, after he was barred from written and telephone contact with his family and others, prosecutors said. The Bosnian state court issued a first-instance ruling on Monday acquitting him of those obstruction charges; prosecutors have the right to appeal, according to Klix.ba and FENA.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Klix.ba, Srpskainfo US authorities have asked Bosnia to extradite Mevlid Jasarevic over his 2011 attack on the US embassy in Sarajevo.
- 2+ outlets · Klix.ba, Srpskainfo Jasarevic's 15-year prison sentence for the attack was due to expire this week; an extradition detention hearing was scheduled for the day after the request.
- 2+ outlets · Klix.ba, Srpskainfo The 2012 US indictment accuses him of attempted murder of US officials, assault with a deadly weapon, property destruction and firearms offences.
- Official · Bosnian state court (via 24sata) A policeman guarding the embassy was seriously wounded in the 2011 attack, which a Bosnian court classified as terrorism.
- Official · Bosnian state court (via Klix.ba, FENA) A Bosnian court acquitted Jasarevic on Monday, in a first-instance ruling, of separate charges of threatening prison staff in 2024; prosecutors can appeal.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The case is one of the highest-profile terrorism prosecutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a US extradition request timed to the end of his domestic sentence raises the prospect of further prosecution abroad for an attack on American diplomatic staff in the Western Balkans.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- 24sata: Napadač na američko veleposlanstvo u Sarajevu izlazi na slobodu: Ozlijedio policajca
- FENA: Mevlid Jašarević oslobođen optužbi za sprečavanje službenika u izvršavanju službenih radnji
- FENA: Mevlid Jašarević acquitted of charges of obstructing officials in the performance of their duties
- Radio Sarajevo: Oklopno vozilo na ulicama Sarajeva: Izdato upozorenje građanima ovih naselja, nema razloga za paniku
- Klix.ba: Amerika traži izručenje Mevlida Jašarevića zbog napada na Ambasadu SAD-a u Sarajevu
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did Mevlid Jasarevic do?
- He attacked the US embassy in Sarajevo with a machine gun on 28 October 2011, wounding a policeman, in an act a Bosnian court classified as terrorism.
- Why does the US want him extradited now?
- His 15-year Bosnian prison sentence for the attack was due to expire this week, and the US submitted its extradition request just before that.
- What is he accused of in the US indictment?
- Attempted murder of US officials, assault with a deadly weapon, destruction of property and firearms offences, filed in 2012.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.