Norway sends Croat war crime suspect to Serbia

Norway will hand over a Croatian citizen accused of involvement in the 1991 Vukovar massacre to Serbia.

Izvor: Reuters

Tuesday, 15.01.2008.

19:29

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Norway will hand over a Croatian citizen accused of involvement in the 1991 Vukovar massacre to Serbia. The decision comes despite a request from Zagreb to extradite him, Norwegian justice officials said Tuesday, Reuters reported. Norway sends Croat war crime suspect to Serbia Croatia had asked in 2006 for Damir Sireta's extradition after a court convicted him of murder in Croatia in autumn 1991, the Norwegian justice ministry said in a statement. But Belgrade demanded he be sent to Serbia to be charged with war crimes, including killings and inhumane treatment of at least 200 prisoners in Vukovar, Croatia, in November 1991, the ministry said. "The ministry has found that there are sufficient grounds for suspecting that the person concerned has committed war crimes against at least 200 people," the Ministry of Justice said in its statement. Norwegian law enforcement officials declined to release the name of the 44-year-old man, who they said came to Norway in 1998 and has lived there lawfully. He is suspected of being a "lower-level perpetrator" of the Vukovar killings, police prosecutor Espen Skjerven told Reuters. Serbia has been trying 14 former Serb militia members accused of shooting and burying the victims of the massacre. A lower court found them guilty in December 2005, but the Supreme Court ordered a retrial, citing procedural errors. Croatia has been holding a separate trial. Norway gave weight to Serbia's extradition request over Croatia's because it "evidently comprises the most serious conditions", the justice ministry said. Sireta can still appeal within three weeks to the King of Norway to block his extradition. But if the decision is upheld, the handover to Serbian police will take place as soon as possible, the ministry said.

Norway sends Croat war crime suspect to Serbia

Croatia had asked in 2006 for Damir Sireta's extradition after a court convicted him of murder in Croatia in autumn 1991, the Norwegian justice ministry said in a statement.

But Belgrade demanded he be sent to Serbia to be charged with war crimes, including killings and inhumane treatment of at least 200 prisoners in Vukovar, Croatia, in November 1991, the ministry said.

"The ministry has found that there are sufficient grounds for suspecting that the person concerned has committed war crimes against at least 200 people," the Ministry of Justice said in its statement.

Norwegian law enforcement officials declined to release the name of the 44-year-old man, who they said came to Norway in 1998 and has lived there lawfully.

He is suspected of being a "lower-level perpetrator" of the Vukovar killings, police prosecutor Espen Skjerven told Reuters.

Serbia has been trying 14 former Serb militia members accused of shooting and burying the victims of the massacre. A lower court found them guilty in December 2005, but the Supreme Court ordered a retrial, citing procedural errors.

Croatia has been holding a separate trial.

Norway gave weight to Serbia's extradition request over Croatia's because it "evidently comprises the most serious conditions", the justice ministry said.

Sireta can still appeal within three weeks to the King of Norway to block his extradition. But if the decision is upheld, the handover to Serbian police will take place as soon as possible, the ministry said.

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