November 30 (SeeNews) - The European Parliament said it is urging Hungary to extradite Macedonia's fugitive former prime minister Nikola Gruevski to his home country to serve a prison term for abuse of power .
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) call on the Hungarian authorities to extradite Gruevski to Macedonia, who, having been convicted there of abuse of power and sentenced to prison, subsequently fled abroad, the European Parliament said in a statement on Thursday.
Gruevski, convicted to two years in jail for his role in a corruption scheme, said earlier this month he has sought political asylum in Hungary.
Hungary has not helped Gruevski flee Macedonia, the Hungarian prime minister’s office said earlier this month, denying reports of alleged Hungarian involvement. Gruevski is in Hungary in accordance with the legal provisions concerning asylum procedures, the Hungarian PM’s office noted, adding that the immigration and asylum office is conducting the asylum process in accordance with domestic and international law.
In May, the criminal court in Skopje sentenced Gruevski to two years in prison for unlawfully influencing the decision of interior ministry officials to purchase a Mercedes car at an estimated cost of 600,000 euro ($682,614). Last month, Skopje Appeal Court dismissed an appeal against the jail sentence lodged by Gruevski.
Gruevski led Macedonia's government from 2006 to 2016.
($ = 0.87897 euro)