Croatia Requests Extradition of Captain Dragan

Vasiljkovic is accused of torturing and killing captured Croatian soldiers and policemen in the towns of Knin and Bruska during his time as commander of a Serb paramilitary unit in the early Nineties.



He is also charged with planning attacks in the Glina area - in cooperation with the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA - which resulted in the destruction of civilian facilities, the expulsion of the local population, the plundering of their property, and the killing and wounding of civilians, including a foreign journalist.



During the Hague trial of former Republic of Serbian Krajina leader Milan Martic, Vasiljkovic was mentioned as a key link between Belgrade and the Croatian Serbs.



He was arrested in January in Australia, where he had been living and working as a golf trainer. He has denied the war crimes charges against him.



Local media have reported that the new hearings on Vasiljkovic’s extradition are unlikely to be heard until March. The process has been halted pending a decision by Australia’s Supreme Court on a complaint by Vasiljkovic that he is being detained illegally.