Australia to extradite “Captain Dragan”

An Australian court has approved the extradition of Dragan Vasiljkovic, known as Captain Dragan, to Croatia, where he is indicted for war crimes. Vasiljkovic is wanted in Croatia on allegations that, as a commander of Serb military forces considered paramilitaries by the Croatian authorities, he participated in war crimes against civilians, Croatian soldiers and prisoners in the Republic of Serb Krajina at the beginning of the 90s. Australia to extradite “Captain Dragan” After a three-year court battle, an Australian court ruled today on Vasiljkovic’s appeal against the first-instance verdict, establishing that he was fit for extradition to Croatia. However, although Croatian President Stjipe Mesic is certain of Vasiljkovic's extradition, Croatia may yet have to wait a while longer as, under Australian extradition laws, Vasiljkovic could in theory submit a total of three appeals to the extradition ruling. The Australian federal court upheld the ruling of the first-instance court that the suspect would receive a fair trial in Croatia. The ruling states that there was no evidence of any bias in the Croatian authorities' investigative work, as Vasiljkovic had claimed. His lawyers say that he will be appealing the verdict within the next fortnight. They have called for their client to be tried at the Hague Tribunal. Vasiljkovic has spent the last three years in an Australian prison, having been apprehended in Sydney as Australian citizen Daniel Snedden based on an international arrest warrant issued by Croatia. However, Australian media earlier wrote that he no longer had money and that this first appeal could be his last. Vasiljkovic earlier told Australian newspapers that he had trained Serb solidiers, interrogated enemies, killed in combat and led attacks on command positions. He denied, however, any involvement in the war crimes that Croatia is charging him with. Dragan Vasiljkovic (Beta, archive)

Australia to extradite “Captain Dragan”

After a three-year court battle, an Australian court ruled today on Vasiljković’s appeal against the first-instance verdict, establishing that he was fit for extradition to Croatia. However, although Croatian President Stjipe Mesić is certain of Vasiljković's extradition, Croatia may yet have to wait a while longer as, under Australian extradition laws, Vasiljković could in theory submit a total of three appeals to the extradition ruling.

The Australian federal court upheld the ruling of the first-instance court that the suspect would receive a fair trial in Croatia.

The ruling states that there was no evidence of any bias in the Croatian authorities' investigative work, as Vasiljković had claimed.

His lawyers say that he will be appealing the verdict within the next fortnight.

They have called for their client to be tried at the Hague Tribunal.

Vasiljković has spent the last three years in an Australian prison, having been apprehended in Sydney as Australian citizen Daniel Snedden based on an international arrest warrant issued by Croatia.

However, Australian media earlier wrote that he no longer had money and that this first appeal could be his last.

Vasiljković earlier told Australian newspapers that he had trained Serb solidiers, interrogated enemies, killed in combat and led attacks on command positions. He denied, however, any involvement in the war crimes that Croatia is charging him with.