The first persons arrested in Croatia since 1 July on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), who are wanted in a European Union country to be investigated or serve a sentence, started arriving at Croatian county courts on Wednesday, Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic said, adding that Croatia too was preparing EAWs for other member countries.
Zagreb's County Court granted the extradition to Denmark of a man wanted for arms trade. Croatia has also granted the extradition to Germany of a man sentenced there to 11 months for grand theft who fled to Croatia before going to jail.
On the first day of the EAW's enforcement, July 1, when Croatia was admitted to the EU, Croatian police arrested about 20 persons wanted in Europe for human trafficking, slavery, extortion, fraud, money forgery, domestic violence and drug abuse.
However, because of the amended law on cooperation with EU countries in judicial matters, the EAW does not apply to crimes committed before 2002.
As a result, Croatia will not act on Germany's EAW for Josip Perkovic, a former Yugoslav secret agent wanted for his role in the murder of Croatian immigrant Stjepan Djurekovic in Bavaria in 1983.
Miljenic said that apart from Croatia, another five EU countries applied the time limit on the EAW. He said the only outstanding issue was whether Croatia's accession negotiators should have put this matter "in reserve" or if it could be done subsequently. "We will act based on the outcome of those talks."
He conceded that Croatia might have failed to do something in the accession negotiations, but said it would be absurd if, were the time limit revoked, Croatia should extradite every wanted person to other EU countries, while five members which had imposed time limits would not have to extradite persons wanted in Croatia for crimes committed prior to 2002.
Miljenic added that every member country had some legislative disagreement with the acquis but that this was not "extraordinary or dramatic."
