SARAJEVO PRESS ++SARAJEVO, Jan 5 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina will bring back a +request for the extradition of Fikret Abdic, which has already been +forwarded to Croatia, the Sarajevo-based press reported on Tuesday +commenting on a
ruling of the Hague-based International Criminal +Tribunal for the ex-Yugoslavia (ICTY) to give its consent to +Bosnian authorities to criminally pursue a former Bosnian +Presidency member, Fikret Abdic. + Sead Hodzic, Bosnia-Herzegovina's counsel before the ICTY in the +Abdic case, said his country had twice requested Croatia to +extradite the most controversial Bosnian politician: in October +1995 and then in January 1996.+ Hodzic was quoted by the Sarajevo press as saying that no response +was given to either request. He claimed that Croatia would have to +respond now, following the ICTY latest ruling, as it was obliged to +do so under the so-called "rules of the path" of
SARAJEVO, Jan 5 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina will bring back a
request for the extradition of Fikret Abdic, which has already been
forwarded to Croatia, the Sarajevo-based press reported on Tuesday
commenting on a ruling of the Hague-based International Criminal
Tribunal for the ex-Yugoslavia (ICTY) to give its consent to
Bosnian authorities to criminally pursue a former Bosnian
Presidency member, Fikret Abdic.
Sead Hodzic, Bosnia-Herzegovina's counsel before the ICTY in the
Abdic case, said his country had twice requested Croatia to
extradite the most controversial Bosnian politician: in October
1995 and then in January 1996.
Hodzic was quoted by the Sarajevo press as saying that no response
was given to either request. He claimed that Croatia would have to
respond now, following the ICTY latest ruling, as it was obliged to
do so under the so-called "rules of the path" of the 1996 Rome
agreement as well as by the ICTY statute.
Hodzic told the daily "Dnevni Avaz" that in case it declined to
extradite Abdic to Bosnia, Croatia would be forced to try him itself
as Abdic had obtained Croatian citizenship as well.
Bekir Gavrankapetanovic, the head of a Bosnian state commission for
war crimes, told the same daily that the commission did not possess
any special documentation about the Abdic case adding that the
Bihac court and prosecutor were conducting the proceedings.
The president of the court in Bihac (western Bosnia), Hasan Pjanic,
was quoted by the "Oslobodjenje" daily as saying that Croatia could
expect to be again asked to extradite Abdic.
"The detailed indictment has been made by our court and it was the
consent, given by the ICTY, that has been expected. The next step is
to request extradition," Pjanic said.
The Bihac public prosecutor issued an indictment against Abdic on
August 8, 1996.
Under the Bosnian penal code, Abdic is charged with war crimes
committed against prisoners-of-war and with crimes committed
against civilians.
According to the nine-page indictment, Abdic is believed to be
responsible for detaining more than 5,000 people in special camps
in western Bosnia, for commanding and organising physical and
mental torture of civilians, indiscriminate artillery attacks and
forceful mobilisation.
The indictment also mentions names of several members of the
Bosnian Army who are said to have died after being tortured in
Abdic's camps.
Abdic is particularly accused of cooperation with Bosnian Serb
military forces during the war in Bosnia.
The Bihac court has isued the warrant for Abdic's arrest.
(hina) ms