Angjelin Sterkaj, the Albanian sentenced to 16 years in prison for the murder of his compatriot Armando Beqirai in Iceland, has been released on bail and deported to Albania after serving about a third of his sentence.
The news was confirmed to the Icelandic media outlet "Vísir" by the director of the Prison Administration, Ragna Bjarnadóttir. Sterkaj has been deported from Iceland and a re-entry ban has been imposed on him in the country and the Schengen area.
The decision was made possible by recent temporary changes to Icelandic legislation, which allow for the conditional release of foreign prisoners who have been sentenced to deportation after they have completed one-third of their sentence.
Sterkaj was convicted of the murder of 33-year-old Albanian Armando Beqirai, an incident that occurred on February 13, 2021 in Rauðagerði. Beqirai, a father, had just arrived at his apartment and parked his vehicle in the garage. As he exited the garage, he was shot nine times with a firearm.
The incident caused a great shock in Iceland, and the murder was described in the local media as an “execution.” The investigation into the case was one of the largest conducted in the country in recent years, with authorities suspecting that the crime could be linked to a clash in the underworld.
The Supreme Court of Iceland sentenced Sterkajn to 16 years in prison on June 21, 2023. The period of pre-trial detention, which had begun on February 17, 2021, was also recognized in calculating the sentence.
According to calculations published by “Vísir”, Sterkaj had spent 855 days in detention and 1,149 days serving his sentence, or a total of 2,004 days behind bars. This translates to about five and a half years in prison, while one-third of the 16-year sentence is calculated at 1,947 days.
In addition to Sterkaj, the Supreme Court also sentenced other individuals involved in the case. Claudia Carvalho was sentenced to three years in prison, Murat Selivrada to four years, and Shpetim Qerimi received a ten-year sentence.
Sterkaj was also wanted by Albanian authorities.
Another element of the case is related to the fact that Sterkaj was previously a wanted person in Albania. According to Icelandic media, Albanian authorities had requested his extradition in 2015 to serve a sentence handed down in Albania for robbery.
However, the request of the Albanian authorities was rejected by Iceland in 2017, as it was assessed that it did not meet the conditions of extradition legislation and international agreements to which Iceland is a party.
Sterkaj was still wanted by Albania in 2021. "Vísir" emphasizes that there is no information whether his sentence or case in Albania has expired, so it remains unclear whether he will be free after returning to the country or face Albanian authorities.
The new law also aims to ease prison overcrowding.
The Icelandic parliament approved amendments to the law on the execution of sentences on June 1, proposed by the Minister of Justice, Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir. They allow for the conditional release of foreign nationals who are due to be deported from the country after serving a third of their sentence.
Upon release, the persons are immediately deported and, depending on the case, are banned from entering Iceland and the Schengen area. For more serious offenses, the Icelandic authorities can also impose a permanent ban on entry to the entire Schengen area. The legal measure is temporary and will be in effect until July 1, 2027.
According to the head of the Prison Administration, around 20 foreign prisoners have been released on parole and deported from Iceland so far, while several dozen more may benefit from the same provision.
Authorities argue that the measure also helps reduce pressure on the Icelandic prison system, which has been facing a capacity shortage for years.
Sterkaj's case has received particular attention due to the importance of the crime and the fact that out of a 16-year sentence, he only spent about five and a half years behind bars before being released on parole and sent to Albania.
