WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Hina) - A man who was in absentia sentenced in Croatia to 20 years in prison for war crimes and was arrested in the US on the basis of an international warrant, was arraigned before an immigration judge in
Bloomington, Minnesota, for violating immigration regulations, the "Argus Leader" newspaper said on Friday.
WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Hina) - A man who was in absentia sentenced in
Croatia to 20 years in prison for war crimes and was arrested in the
US on the basis of an international warrant, was arraigned before an
immigration judge in Bloomington, Minnesota, for violating
immigration regulations, the "Argus Leader" newspaper said on
Friday. #L#
US authorities took Mitar Arambasic in custody because when
immigrating into the United States he hid the fact that he was
convicted of war crimes, i.e. that he had participated in the early
1990s Serb rebellion in Croatia.
The next hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 12, by which time the US
Department of Justice is expected to decide on a request Croatia
forwarded for Arambasic's extradition.
If the US okays the Croatian request, the case will be transferred
to the federal court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Arambasic
lived since arriving in the US two years ago.
Arambasic's attorney Dusan Vucicevic has announced that if the
extradition request is approved he will request the federal court
to examine the legal basis of the 1997 Croatian conviction.
Vucicevic claims that his client did not commit war crimes or know
about the charges and the verdict.
(hina) ha sb