Serbia asks Austrialia not to extradite Vasiljkovic

Serbia asks Austrialia not to extradite Vasiljkovic

Serbia fears that criminal proceedings that would be conducted against him in Croatia "would not be supported by adequate and sustainable evidence," according to the letter sent after the Federal Court of Australia decided to grant the extradition request.

Croatia charged him with war crimes allegedly committed between 1991 and 1993.

The Serbian minister's letter also emphasized that in similar previous proceedings in Croatia "many long-term prison sentences were handed down, with serious violations of fundamental human rights," and that a number of human and civil rights protection organizations have noted that Crostia's judicial authorities "demonstrated discrimination in the cases against Serbs accused of war crimes."

In support of this claim, the minister gave the example of Britain's refusal to extradite Milan Spanovic to Croatia, Tanjug was told at the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, as stated in the letter, the extradition of Vasiljkovic would cause "reactions" of the Serb community in Australia, and upset the public in Serbia.

The letter added that "the Republic of Serbia and all its judicial authorities are willing to take all necessary steps to implement criminal proceedings against Vasiljkovic in the Republic of Serbia in accordance with the highest legal standards."

Selakovic pointed out to the fact Serbia in the past impartially and independently prosecuted many Serbian citizens for war crimes committed in the territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ), regardless of whether they also held citizenship of another country.

This is the third time that Serbia addressed the judicial authorities of Australia.

Vasiljkovic was arrested in Perth in 2006, and was set free in late 2009 and early 2010, after which he was again arrested.

The Australian government in late 2012 decided to extradite Vasiljkovic - who uses the name "Daniel Snedden" - after years of legal wrangling and the suspect's attempts to challenge the Croatian request for extradition, submitted in 2005.

According to the indictment issued by the prosecution of Croatia's Sibenik-Knin District, Vasiljković tortured prisoners of war, ordered their killing and commanded an attack on the town of Klina which resulted in civilian casualties.

Vasiljkovic, who was born in Belgrade and has Australian citizenship, has denied all charges against him.