Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Friday he was offended by the explanation of a London court regarding its refusal to extradite Bosnian wartime presidency member Ejup Ganic to Belgrade to face war crimes charges.
"The comment that somebody could be tried here based on politics and not law is totally incomprehensible to me and I see it both as a personal affront and an affront to Serbia," Tadic said, according to a statement released by his office.
Tadic said he would like the ambassadors of the countries which were sending these messages to explain to their judicial authorities that Serbia was a country that respected the EU legal system and that Serbia did not discriminate against people based on their ethnic or religious background.
Ganic is one of 19 people wanted by Serbia in connection with an attack by Bosnian forces on a retreating column of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in Sarajevo in May 1992. Under the indictment issued by the Serbian authorities, 42 soldiers were killed and 73 were wounded in the attack.
The 64-year-old Ganic was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on March 1 based on a warrant issued by Serbian authorities.
The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday refused to extradite Ganic to Serbia, saying there was evidence that the case against Ganic was politically motivated.