Zeljko Pudic, against whom the indictment for crimes against civilians in Derventa was confirmed, will not be extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) because he has the citizenship of Belgium, it was confirmed in the Doboj District Public Prosecutor’s Office and the District Court.
The Prosecutor’s Office in Doboj, through the District Court, received a request from the judicial authorities in Belgium for the delivery of certain documents in order to initiate an investigation against Pudic, after the request for extradition of the accused to BiH was rejected due to his Belgian citizenship.
“According to the aforementioned request, through the Ministry of Justice of BiH, certain documentation was forwarded to the judicial authorities in Belgium, and the transfer of the case has not yet been decided”, according to the Prosecutor’s Office in Doboj.
The indictment, which was confirmed on May 19th, 2023, accuses Pudic, of participating in the murder of a civilian of Serbian nationality, and in the illegal imprisonment of civilians who were beaten by others, unknown HVO members, in the camp in the building of the former Hall of the Yugoslav People’s Army in Derventa, while he was a member of the 103rd Derventa Brigade of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO).
An international arrest warrant was previously issued for the accused because he was unavailable during the investigation.
In the District Court of Doboj, it was confirmed that the order to withdraw the international warrant was issued.
In May of last year, the District Court sent the request to serve the indictment on Pudic to the authorities in neighboring Croatia, given that the accused also has an address in Zagreb.
