Commenting on unofficial information that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has decided to extradite Croatian national Tihomir Purda to Serbia, Croatian Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic said he did not expect the Croatian war veteran to be extradited because no proceedings could be based on evidence and statements extorted under torture in a POW camp.
"I expect that Purda will not be eventually extradited and I expect that eventually no proceedings can be grounded on evidence and statements extorted under duress and torture in prisoner of war camps," the Croatian minister said, adding that this was contrary to international rules.
Purda was arrested in the northern Bosnian town of Orasje on 5 January on an international warrant issued in Serbia whose prosecutorial authorities suspect him of committing war crimes in Vukovar in 1991. Since his arrest Purda has been held in prison in Zenica, central Bosnia.
The State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has reached a decision on Serbia's request for Purda's extradition and the decision will be announced in the course of the day after the prosecution and the defence are formally notified, court spokeswoman Selma Hadzic told Hina in Sarajevo earlier on Friday.
Hina learned unofficially that the court had decided to grant Serbia's request for Purda's transfer to Belgrade to face war crimes charges.
Purda's lawyer Josip Muselimovic told Hina on Friday morning he had not received a copy of the court ruling, but confirmed that if the court allowed his client's extradition to Serbia the defence would file an appeal.
Bosnia's justice minister has a final say in matters regarding extraditions.
