One in four foreigners sentenced to life in prison in England and Wales between 2011 and 2019 was sent back to complete their sentence in their home country.
The Prison Service made the disclosure following a Freedom of Information Act request from The Epoch Times (pdf), 435 foreigners were sentenced to life imprisonment between 2011 and 2019, all but seven of them for murder.
The Prison Service, part of the Justice Department, said 125 foreigners serving life sentences for murder or terrorism crimes had been sent back to their home countries under an agreement with the British government.
Eleven of them were Albanians who had returned as part of an agreement with the Tirana government that has been in place for several years.
EMT Sent Back to Albania Released, Killed
But the Epoch Times can reveal that at least one Albanian was released early from prison after being deported, but himself killed.
In 2006, Hekuran Billa shot dead fellow Albanian Prel Marku at a social club in Park Royal, West London.
He fled to Denmark, but was extradited, convicted in 2008, and a judge sentenced him to at least 34 years in prison, ineligible for release until 2042.
Billa was sent back to Albania to serve the rest of his sentence, but was released by a judge in February 2019.
The following year, Billa, then 40, was shot dead in the office of his car rental company in Tirana, Albania.
The two accused in his murder are Victor Marc, whose brother Prel was murdered by Billa, and Sebastian Mari, who is also believed to be a relative of Prel Marc.
of Albania daily news Billa is said to have been lured to his death in a “honey trap” by 26-year-old Adiola Lacra, who befriended him on Instagram.
Mohammed Veriu, political correspondent for Albania’s top channel, said he was surprised that many of the estimated 1,500 Albanians in British prisons have not chosen to return home.
Veliu told the Epoch Times: It’s entirely up to them. ”
He said, “The Hecran Villa case shows how strong the blood feud in Albania is and the desire for revenge.”
Veliu said: The Justice Department should publish their names so they can be monitored if they request a reduced sentence or are released by a corrupt judge, as happened in the Villa case. ”
1984 Prisoner Repatriation Act It allowed prisoners in British prisons to be repatriated and British citizens abroad to return to Britain to complete their sentences.
Under this law, the UK must sign individual prisoner transfer agreements (PTAs) with governments.
In 2007 Hansard listed all the countries with which the UK has a PTA. This includes Albania, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, Nicaragua, Thailand, Ukraine, Hong Kong, and the United States.
The most notable omissions on the list were Russia, Iran and China.
Saudi prince sent home after jail for murder
Saudi Arabia was also absent at that time.
Prince, October 2010 Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al SaudThe grandson of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, he was convicted of murdering a servant at the Landmark Hotel in central London and was jailed for at least 20 years.
However, a PTA was negotiated between the UK and Saudi Arabia in 2011, and in 2013 Saud was deported on the grounds that he would spend the remainder of his sentence in the desert kingdom.
In an email to The Epoch Times, a Home Office spokesperson said: We will work closely with international governments to increase the number of repatriated prisoners. ”
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Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist with a wide range of national coverage, with a particular interest in crime, police and law.