Ex-Al Qaeda seeks asylum, willing to testify on Mujaheddin

The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution officials say they are working to shed light on Mujaheddin crimes committed during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. The Mujaheddin fought on the side of Bosnia's Muslims. A former Al Qaeda member, Ali Ahmed Ali Hamad recently spoke about those crimes, and said he would seek asylum in Serbia. Ex-Al Qaeda seeks asylum, willing to testify on Mujaheddin "We are interested in this case and are working on it intensively," Prosecution spokesman Bruno Vekaric confirmed in Belgrade on Wednesday. Daily Politika writes that Hamad sought temporary stay in Serbia, "since he believes that the authorities there will have a strong sense for what he knows about the crimes committed by the Mujaheddin against Serbs and Croats during the Bosnian war". Another newspaper, Vecernje Novosti, reports him as saying that "it will be enough for the authorities in Belgrade to allow him an asylum of one month, because in that time he would be able to tell many truths about the Mujaheddin crimes". Hamad was a witness in the Hague case against the former Bosnian Muslim army chief Rasim Delic, who has been indicted for command responsibility over the Mujaheddin unit. He told the court what he knew about the crimes and the links between the unit and Bosnian Muslim, or Bosniak, politicians and officers. Hamad, a Bahrain native, is currently in the Bosnian Immigration Center in East Sarajevo, awaiting deportation.

Ex-Al Qaeda seeks asylum, willing to testify on Mujaheddin

"We are interested in this case and are working on it intensively," Prosecution spokesman Bruno Vekarić confirmed in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Daily Politika writes that Hamad sought temporary stay in Serbia, "since he believes that the authorities there will have a strong sense for what he knows about the crimes committed by the Mujaheddin against Serbs and Croats during the Bosnian war".

Another newspaper, Večernje Novosti, reports him as saying that "it will be enough for the authorities in Belgrade to allow him an asylum of one month, because in that time he would be able to tell many truths about the Mujaheddin crimes".

Hamad was a witness in the Hague case against the former Bosnian Muslim army chief Rasim Delić, who has been indicted for command responsibility over the Mujaheddin unit.

He told the court what he knew about the crimes and the links between the unit and Bosnian Muslim, or Bosniak, politicians and officers.

Hamad, a Bahrain native, is currently in the Bosnian Immigration Center in East Sarajevo, awaiting deportation.