SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Swiss government extradited Bosnian war commander Naser Oric on Friday to Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
The extradition came after the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said on Thursday that Naser would be extradited not to Serbia, as had been expected earlier, but to Bosnia and Herzegovina, after a request from the latter.
Naser arrived in Sarajevo on a private plane from Switzerland and was met by Bosnian border police.
He is expected to be sent to the Prosecutor's Office during the day.
The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday sent a request to Switzerland to not extradite its citizen and former Bosnian war commander, Naser Oric, to Serbia.
The request of the prosecutor's office came after the Serbian Ministry of Justice submitted a request Sunday for Oric’s extradition.
Oric, a former Bosnian brigadier in Srebrenica during the 90s war, was arrested on June 10 in the Swiss city of Berne when he arrived to attend an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide on the invitation of the Bosnian diaspora.
His arrest has led to the cancellation of Serbian president’s official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
Although the Appellate Chamber of the Hague Tribunal had acquitted Oric in 2008 on charges of failing to prevent crimes committed against Serbs in 1992 and 1993, Serbia issued an arrest warrant for him in 2014, charging him for the same crimes.
Swiss authorities arrested Oric on the basis of an Interpol warrant issued from Belgrade. His detention was reportedly extended to 14 days.
Serbia's decision to seek Oric's extradition came right after Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic offered to honor Bosnian genocide victims at the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
Oric is known in Bosnia for commanding the Army of the Republic of Bosnia forces in Srebrenica enclave in eastern Bosnia during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.
