"It's a little strange. We were informed that the Greek judiciary was under great pressure regarding that decision (on the extradition)," said attorney Marijan Pedisic.
He expressed surprise at the Corfu court's decision given that during a hearing on the extradition request three days ago, it was said that the Croatian authorities would be requested to send additional documents referring to Petrac's case before the County Court in Zagreb, which last year sentenced him to six years in jail for the kidnapping of a minor.
Pedisic confirmed that Petrac's Greek lawyer, Alexis Kougias, would appeal the decision to extradite Petrac to Croatia.
Pedisic was unable to say what his client's reaction to the decision had been or confirm if and when one of Petrac's Croatian attorneys would go to Greece.
The Croatian authorities consider Petrac an important financier in a network of people assisting Croatian war crimes fugitive Ante Gotovina, who is wanted by the Hague tribunal.
Petrac was arrested in the Greek port of Igoumenitsa on August 31 for holding a fake passport. He was sentenced to five months in jail or a EUR1,500 fine. He is detained in an extradition prison in Ioanna and has recently requested political asylum in Greece.