Swiss extradite war crimes suspect to Bosnia

A former Bosnian Muslim commander has been extradited to Bosnia for suspected war crimes, the Swiss justice ministry said Friday, amid outrage in Serbia which wants him on similar charges.

Accompanied by a Swiss police escort, Naser Oric, 48, "arrived Friday afternoon in Sarajevo where he was handed over to local authorities," the ministry said in a statement.

Oric, who led Muslim forces in Bosnia's east during its 1992-1995 civil war, was arrested on June 10 in Geneva on an international warrant issued by Serbia, which accuses him of war crimes and crimes against humanity against ethnic Serbs during the conflict.

But Switzerland decided Thursday to instead send Oric to his home country Bosnia, where he also faces war crimes allegations.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that decision was "politically motivated and is all but fair," warning Bosnia would surely drop the case.

Serbia accuses Oric and four other people of committing war crimes in July 1992 in Zalazje near Sarajevo, where nine ethnic Serbs were killed.

His arrest earlier this month sparked outcry in Bosnia and threatened relations with Belgrade, forcing Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to call off a visit.

In Srebrenica, organisers of ceremonies next month marking 20 years since the massacre there of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys also threatened to cancel the events if he was not released.

The Muslim member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, hailed Switzerland's decision to send Oric to his home country as "the only correct and fair" one.

Oric had contested extradition to Serbia, but agreed during a hearing Thursday to be sent to Bosnia. His agreement allowed the Swiss justice ministry to "approve the extradition immediately in simplified proceedings," the justice ministry said.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Oric in 2006 and sentenced him to two years in prison for not doing enough to prevent crimes committed by his subordinates against Serbs.

He was acquitted on all charges on appeal in 2008 on the grounds of insufficient evidence.