NSW: Serbian community footing bill for accused war criminal

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2007
NSW: Serbian community footing bill for accused war criminal

SYDNEY, April 16 AAP - Australia's Serbian community has spent more than $500,000 fighting
the extradition to Croatia of accused Balkan war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic.

A group calling themselves Serbs for Justice and Democracy -- who have labelled the
case against Captain Dragan a "witch hunt" -- told The Australian newspaper legal fees
for the extradition case had passed $500,000 and would rise further.

Committee president George Bubalo said 42 Serbian community groups from around Australia
had made financial contributions to the fighting fund.

"The case to stop Capt Dragan from being returned to Croatia is far from exhausted,"

Mr Bubalo told the newspaper. "We will take the case all the way to the High Court of
Australia, as Dragan is an Australian citizen, if need be."

Mr Bubalo said the group would meet as early as today to plan its next legal move.

Mr Vasiljkovic, 52, is wanted by Croatia for war crimes, including torture, against
the Croatian people between 1991 and 1993.

He is accused of killing civilians and instructing others to commit murder while a
commander of Serbian paramilitary forces.

Last week NSW Deputy Chief Magistrate Paul Cloran granted the Republic of Croatia the
right to have Mr Vasiljkovic extradicted.

AAP acb/rs

KEYWORD: VASILJKOVIC

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