BOSNIAN LAW OFFICIAL ON LEGAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ABDIC'S EXTRADITION

SARAJEVO, Jan 8 (Hina) - A Bosnian law official on Friday said Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) may request Croatia to extradite former BH Presidency member Fikret Abdic on several legal bases, whereby it is especially important that international law have priority in relation to domestic law. The first foundation for Abdic's extradition was contained in the Statute of The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, which obligates former Yugoslav states to extradition, said Kasim Trnka, legal advisor to Alija Izetbegovic, the Moslem member in BH's collective Presidency. The second legal foundation was contained in the regulations of the Geneva Convention on the violation of the international humanitarian law, he added. According to Trnka, whose statement was carried by the BH PRESS news agency, former Yugoslav countries are obligated to extradite to one another the perpetrators of serious violations of the international humanitarian law on condition valid evidence is presented indicating jeopardised rights of prisoners, the wounded, and civilians. Trnka believes extradition is also possible based on a Croatian- Bosnian agreement on legal assistance in criminal and civil disputes. According to extant proceedings, extradition must formally be requested by the County Court in Bihac, north-western BH, through the BH Ministry of Justice, i.e. the BH Ministry for Civilian Issues and Communications. Trnka said the Bihac County Court may also request an international warrant, i.e. an arrest with Interpol mediation. He assessed the provisions of the Croatian Constitution which veto the extradition of Croatian citizens, which Abdic is, to other countries were not relevant in cases like this. In similar cases international law had priority, Trnka said. The Sarajevo-based "Oslobodjenje" daily on Friday reported criminal proceedings were also possible against two of Abdic's close associates, of whom one lives in Croatia. The man in question is Irfan Saracevic, who was the Minister of Defence and Police in Abdic's government in 1993 and 1994. The Bihac Prosecutor's Office holds Saracevic responsible for setting up concentration camps in the Velika Kladusa area, north-western BH, and inhumane treatment of imprisoned civilians. According to "Oslobodjenje", another who might be accused is Serif Mustedanagic, currently residing in the U.S.A. At the time of the Bosnian war, Mustedanagic was chief-of-staff of Abdic's army. The Bihac Prosecutor's Office suspects him of inhumane treatment of prisoners of war and artillery attacks on civilian targets. (hina) ha