Former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader most likely will not be extradited to Croatia this week and it is uncertain if he will be transferred from Austria next week either, one of his Zagreb attorneys, Goran Suic, said on Tuesday after visiting Sanader in prison in Salzburg.
Suic said Sanader had no information as to when and how he would be extradited. "Nobody on the Austrian side has contacted him, but his Austrian attorney Werner Suppan could know more early next week," Suic told reporters, reiterating the defence did not expect the transfer to occur this week.
He said the defence learned unofficially from the press that the Austrian Justice Ministry had not even received the case file, recalling that extradition was not possible without the minister's signature.
Suic said Sanader felt great mentally but could still not stand up without crutches. The former PM recently hurt his leg while working out in the prison gym.
"Mentally, he feels great. He's ready to come back and can't wait to respond to USKOK's suspicions," he added.
Croatia's Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) suspects Sanader of abuse of office and corruption, which was why his extradition has been requested. He has been in custody in Austria since December.
