Former Bosnian leader arrested over soldiers' murders
A former president of Bosnia accused of war crimes was in British custody today after being arrested at Heathrow airport as he tried to leave the country.
Ejup Ganic, 63, was picked up by officers yesterday following a request from the Serbian government, British officials said.
It is alleged that he was involved in the 1992 attack on a Yugoslav army convoy that killed more than 40 people.
The Serbian government accuses him of conspiracy over the operation, which took place in Sarajevo at the beginning of the conflict.
Scotland Yard said Ganic was arrested over alleged conspiracy to murder wounded soldiers in breach of the Geneva Convention. His detention made under a provisional extradition warrant.
Ganic appeared later yesterday at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court, where he was remanded in custody until another court hearing on March 29.
The Serbian authorities are now expected to file papers to support an extradition request.
Ganic, who is an academic at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, had accompanied some students on a trip to a partner university in London where they were to receive their diplomas.
It has emerged that he was also detained on Friday after arriving in the capital, but almost immediately released as no extradition request had been received.
The war crimes suspect served as both vice-president and president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina after it broke from the former Yugoslavia.
In a statement, the Foreign Office confirmed his arrest, but added: “As the case is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Serbia issued an arrest warrant a year ago for Ganic and 18 others over the convoy attack.
Ganic has described the accusations against him as “ridiculous”, also claiming: “For Serbia, anyone who defended our country must be arrested.”
Bosnian authorities claimed his arrest would harm relations between Bosnia and Serbia.
Damir Arnaut, political adviser to Muslim Bosniak president Haris Silajdzic said: “Bosnia has tried to establish correct relations with Serbia, but this political act is obviously directed against Bosnia’s sovereignty.”
“Belgrade’s goal is to try to equalise the guilt for the crimes committed during the war and they are doing this because it is increasingly clear that Serbia bears the guilt alone.”
Ganic’s daughter Emina told the organisation that Belgrade sought her father “on the grounds of the evidence that already was dismissed by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague”.
Ganic obtained PhD in Engineering Science from the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston and had lectured at New York University and the University of Chicago.
Students at the university where Ganic worked have reportedly phoned radio stations, urging Sarajevans to protest at the British embassy.
Bosnian foreign ministry spokesman Zlatan Burzic said a legal team was heading to London to help defend Ganic’s interests.
