It sounds confusing, but the facts of this case are very important and may set an important precedent for cases using the European Arrest Warrant. The EAWs permit the extradition of European residents to other EU Member States, usually with nothing but the barest statements of evidence against the individual. In this case, Edmond Arapi, 31, an Albanian who came legally to the United
Kingdom in 2000 was convicted in his absence of a murder in Genoa, Italy in 2006 and sentenced to 16 years. Arapi, was unaware of the case until he was arrested at Gatwick airport in 2009. He was then sent to a UK prison where he spent weeks fighting extradition. The Italians eventually admitted that Arapi had never been to Italy and overturned the conviction. The whole ordeal lasted over a year. The compensation recognises the distress and the impact of the ordeal. One
may hope that this sends a warning shot to judges and administrators who regularly acceded to EAW requests with little attention. Many more Europeans may be being sent to countries to face wrongful charges or conviction. Read the story here:
Wrongful Convictions Blog 