Opinion ID: 3019200
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Case Against Petitioner

Text: The Republic of Albania alleges that in the mid-1970s, decedent Ilmi Kasemi was romantically involved with Mimoza Hoxha, Petitioner’s sister, but the two were forbidden from marrying by Petitioner’s parents. A declaration from Ilmi 1 At the detention hearing before the Magistrate Judge and in his petition for habeas corpus, Petitioner stated that he initially entered the United States in June 1996. At oral argument, however, Petitioner’s counsel stated that Petitioner came to the United States in 1995. This discrepancy is not relevant to our decision here. Petitioner’s counsel also stated at oral argument that Petitioner was in Albania at the time of the murders because he had to attend a wedding. 3 Kasemi’s brother, Murat Kasemi, supports this assertion.2 Both Ilmi Kasemi and Mimoza Hoxha married others and raised families but, according to the Albanian government, the two renewed an extramarital relationship of which Petitioner strongly disapproved. The Albanian government alleges that Petitioner’s anger at Ilmi Kazemi was the motive for the murders, but provided no documentary evidence of a continuing relationship between Kasemi and Mimoza Hoxha.3 The Albanian government did, however, submit evidence of animosity between Petitioner and Ilmi Kasemi. Specifically, Rahman Sheqeri, a friend and former co-worker of Kasemi, stated in a declaration that on the evening of September 12, 1996, fifteen days before the murders, he saw Petitioner standing with another man about fifty meters from the Kasemi house, holding a gun. Petitioner looked very agitated and, when he saw Sheqeri, told him to go away. Sheqeri reported this incident to Ilmi Kasemi, and Kasemi told Sheqeri that he was sure that Petitioner had been looking for Kasemi that evening. Kasemi also told Sheqeri that Petitioner had assaulted Kasemi on an earlier occasion. The Albanian government submitted three declarations— from Daut Hoxha, a cousin of Petitioner, and from Daut Hoxha’s wife and sister—containing testimony that both parties agree has now been recanted. In his recanted declaration, Daut Hoxha stated that on the night of the murders, Petitioner came to Daut Hoxha’s house carrying an automatic weapon inside a plastic bag.4 Petitioner left the gun in the bag at Daut Hoxha’s house, 2 Unless otherwise indicated, declarations described here were submitted to the Magistrate Judge by the Republic of Albania in support of extradition. 3 Petitioner states that Mimoza Hoxha is prepared to testify that she did not have an ongoing extramarital affair with Ilmi Kasemi. 4 All of the witness statements submitted by the Albanian government are dated less than a week after the murders. Petitioner asserts, however, that at least some of the statements were made later. He states, for example, that Daut Hoxha was imprisoned for almost two months and beaten severely before he 4 and then returned for it at about 5 a.m., intending to throw it in the river. Instead, Daut Hoxha and Petitioner went to the home of Fetah Hoxha, a relative, where Daut Hoxha hid the gun in a sofa. Based on this testimony from Daut Hoxha, the Albanian police searched Fetah Hoxha’s home two days after the murders and found a gun in a blue bag hidden in a sofa. A ballistics examination demonstrated that the gun was the weapon used in the murders. Daut Hoxha’s wife, Bajame Hoxha, stated in her recanted declaration that sometime after midnight on the night of the murders, Petitioner knocked on the door of their home and Daut Hoxha let him in. Bajame Hoxha did not hear what was said, but noted that Petitioner did not stay long. In the morning, at about 7 a.m., Bajame Hoxha saw Petitioner in the house again, and she also saw a large empty black plastic bag in a corner of the house. At about 8 a.m., Bajame Hoxha woke up her husband, and he went to work. Daut Hoxha’s sister, Ardjana Hoxha, who lived with her brother at the time of the murders, stated in her recanted declaration that at about 6:30 a.m. on the morning after the murders, she heard her brother asking Petitioner “what did you do?” and heard Petitioner answering “nothing, nothing, you will learn later.” In a declaration that has not been recanted, Fetah Hoxha stated that Daut Hoxha generally “comes in my house as in his house,” and that he came to Fetah Hoxha’s house at 7 a.m. on the morning after the murders.5 Fetah Hoxha stated that he did not notice what Daut Hoxha did in the house that day, but that he did not stay long. made his statement. 5 The translation of Fetah Hoxha’s affidavit states that Daut Hoxha arrived at his house at 7 p.m. rather than 7 a.m. This is probably an error, however, as the original document refers to 0700, which is 7 a.m. according to the European custom. 5 Attached to his petition for habeas corpus, Petitioner filed new declarations from Daut, Bajame, and Ardjana Hoxha, dated February 15, 2005, averring that their earlier statements were the false product of torture and threats by the Albanian police. Daut Hoxha accounted for his knowledge of the gun’s location by stating that, on the night of the murders, “a resident of the area, whose identity I cannot reveal in public, known to me as a criminal of the area,” asked him to hide an automatic weapon. Daut Hoxha agreed to do so out of fear.6 Petitioner asserts that Daut Hoxha was prepared to testify by telephone as to these points at the extradition hearing, and that the other recanting witnesses were willing to testify as well.