By Kenneth F. Hunt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England – A Bosnian Muslim and former member of the wartime presidency in Bosnia during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War was taken into custody at Heathrow Airport in London on March 1.

British police arrested Ejup Ganic after an extradition request was lodged by Serbia. That extradition warrant for Mr. Ganic, and eighteen others, was issued to Interpol in November. Serbia opened the case at the behest of Bosnian Serb wartime detainees, upset at the perceived inefficiency of Bosnia’s investigation.

The warrant indicts Mr. Ganic and eighteen other officials for war crimes related to the murder of forty soldiers in violation of the Geneva Convention. These alleged crimes relate to an attack in Sarajevo by Yugoslav forces in 1992, known as the Dobrovoljacka Street attack.

In particular, Serbia claims that the forty soldiers were killed, after Bosnia declared independence from Yugoslavia, when the soldiers were in the process of withdrawing from the country. The soldiers were all part of the Yugoslave People’s Army (JNA).

Mr. Ganic was the president of the Muslim-Croat Federation in Bosnia for two terms, including one during the Bosnian War. Serbia wants to question Mr. Ganic and determine any particular role he had in ordering or organizing the killings.

Serbia has forty-five days to provide documentation to the British courts to support its request for Mr. Ganic’s extradition. Serbian Justice Minister, Snezana Malovic, indicated that the Justice Ministry “is working hard to prepare necessary documents” and will have an extradition request prepared by week’s end.

At the same time, Bosnia is also claiming the right to have Mr. Ganic extradited to Bosnia for investigation and prosecution. Bosnia bases this claim on an extradition treaty it has with Serbia that says suspects wanted by both states will be tried in the country of residence.

A  Bosnian prosecutor insists that Bosnia “considers that dealing with war crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina by Bosnian citizens is under its exclusive authority.”

In the meantime, Mr. Ganic is next scheduled to appear in front of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in Britain on March 29.

For more information, please see:

REUTERS – Bosnia, Serbia seek war leader’s extradition from UK – 2 March 2010

BBC – Former Bosnian leader Ejup Ganic arrested at Heathrow – 1 March 2010

GUARDIAN – Former Bosnian president Ejup Ganic arrested at Heathrow – 1 March 2010