Mother turns into first lady extradited to Albania to face jail as decide desires to set instance that Britain is just not a ‘secure haven’ for overseas criminals

An Albanian mother-of-three has become the first woman to be extradited from Britain to her home country to face prison following a judge’s ruling.

Lirie Delishi, 25, was caught trying to use a fake Romanian passport when she attempted to fly from Tirana to Rome in 2019.

Prosecutors in Albania have been trying to extradite Delishi, whose children include a newborn baby, to serve a four-month prison sentence in the country.

Now, Judge John Zani has ruled that the risk of the UK being seen as a ‘safe haven’ for criminals outweighed Delishi’s argument that her extradition would breach her rights to a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The judge has therefore backed Delishi’s extradition – although she is believed to be still be in the UK pending an appeal of his decision, reported The Telegraph.

Delishi is now expected to serve her sentence with her baby in Pojska Prison, which is Albania’s only women’s jail and has capacity for just over 100 women.

Giving evidence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Delishi was pregnant at the time and said it would be ‘awful’ for her two elder children to be separated from her and their baby sibling.

She added that her partner, who was named as Edmond, would likely miss the first few months of her baby’s life, saying: ‘It will be so hard for me to be without him during those important months and I will miss my other children so much.’ 

Lirie Delishi, pictured with her partner Edmond, was caught using a fake Romanian passport

Prosecutors in Albania have been trying to extradite Lirie Delishi, who has three children

Delishi moved to the UK to be with her partner after gradating from university in Albania in 2019 where she had studied computer engineering.

Her partner’s evidence stated that he ran a construction company and a car wash in the UK.

Judge Zani said in his ruling: ‘It is very important for the UK to be seen to be upholding its international extradition obligations.

‘The UK is not to be considered a ‘safe haven’ for those sought by other [ECHR] countries either to stand trial or to serve a prison sentence.

‘In my opinion, the criminal conduct set out in the European Arrest Warrant is serious and, in the event of a conviction in the UK for like criminal conduct, a prison sentence may be imposed. This court finds that the requested person is a fugitive from justice.

‘It is appreciated that there will be hardship caused to the defendant, her partner and to their young children. As counsel are aware that of itself is not sufficient to prevent an order for extradition from being made.’