The British court accepted arguments provided by Croatia regarding a fair retrial of Spanovic.
In 1994, Spanovic was sentenced to prison for war crimes he committed against villagers in Maja and Svracica near the central town of Glina in August of 1991. He was charged with shooting at civilians and with torture, plunder and arson during the Serb rebellion.
Spanovic has been staying in Britain since 1998. Despite an international warrant for his arrest, Spanovic lived peacefully in Carlshalton, Surrey, for nearly eight years. His past came to light in October 2006 after he received a court warning for theft in a shop in Sutton.
Spanovic can lodge an appeal against the latest decision of the British judiciary with the International Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.