CROATIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY RECEIVED NO REQUEST FOR ARREST OF ABDIC

ZAGREB, Jan 8 (Hina) - The Embassy of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zagreb on Monday forwarded to the Croatian Interior Ministry a letter by the Interior Minister of the Bosnian Federation, Mehmed Zilic, requesting the apprehension of Fikret Abdic, the Bosnian Embassy said in a statement Tuesday. The Croatian interior Ministry issued a statement Monday saying it had not received any letter regarding Abdic. The Bosnian Embassy stressed this did not mean the letter had not been forwarded. The Interior Ministry's Public Relations Office said Zilic's letter had not reached the Ministry on Tuesday either. Mehmed Zilic in his letter requested of Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic to undertake measures to apprehend Fikret Abdic, which would allow the process of his extradition to the justice authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The letter states that an international and central warrants had been issued against Abdic, based on the decision of an authorised court in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the consent of the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) that there was sufficient evidence to charge Abdic "on suspicion of violation of the international humanitarian law, that is, that he had treated civilians and war prisoners inhumanely (in western Bosnia- Herzegovina), and had forced civilian into joining military service". (hina) lml mm