Former Bosnian leader held in London to stay in jail - Summary

London/Belgrade - A prominent former Bosnian Muslim leader held in London on alleged war crimes charges following a Serbian extradition warrant failed in his efforts to be freed on bail Friday, as his lawyer claimed the arrest was "politically-motivated." The High Court in London adjourned a decision on a bail application for Ejup Ganic, saying it needed more evidence from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) expanding on the reasons why he was wanted by the Serbian authorities.

Meanwhile Clare Montgomery, a high-profile defence lawyer representing Ganic, said his arrest was politically-motivated and holding him in prison any longer would risk "making a mockery of justice."

In Sarajevo, around 1,000 people gathered at the British embassy Friday to protest at Ganic's arrest, before moving on to the Serbian embassy.

Muslims make up around half and Serbs one-third of Bosnia's four million inhabitants. Relations between ethnic groups in the former Yugoslav republic remain tense nearly 15 years after the war there ended.

Ganic, an academic with close ties to the University in of Buckingham in Britain, was arrested Monday on his arrival at London's Heathrow airport on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the Serbian government. He marked his 64th birthday in detention Wednesday.

But the judges, John Laws and Richard McCombe, said they needed to have more details of the nature of the Serbian extradition request before granting bail. Ganic's family has condemned his arrest and is reported to have provided 200,000 pounds (300,000 dollars) for his release.

The court heard that Terence Kealey, vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, had offered 25,000 pounds in bail security, while a "well-wisher" had provided 300,000 pounds.

He was told earlier by a London Magistrate's Court that he would have to remain in custody until March 29, the date set for a formal extradition hearing. His initial request for bail was dismissed by the same court Wednesday.

It is alleged that Ganic was involved in an attack in May 1992 on a Yugoslav army convoy in Sarajevo in which 42 soldiers were killed and 73 injured. He has denied the allegations.

Montgomery told the court that the Serbian government, which has yet to issue a formal extradition request, was abusing the extradition process.

His arrest was politically-motivated, she argued, coinciding with the trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for war crimes in The Hague.

"There is an overwhelming case for granting bail," she said. Holding Ganic for up to 45 days at Wandsworth top security prison in London risked making a "mockery of justice."

Adjourning the case to next Thursday, judge Laws said he "did not like at all" the custodial "limbo" Ganic was currently in.

The arrest of the former leading politician, who formerly served under the rotating Bosnian presidency, has caused uproar in his home country and raised eyebrows in Britain, where former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher is counted among his friends.

German politician and diplomat Christian Schwarz-Schilling, who served as the international administrator in Bosnia in 2006-07, called Ganic's arrest an "international scandal" and "outrage."...

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/312688,former-bosnian-leader-held-in-london-to-stay-in-jail.html.