Ganic Appears in UK Court

London

At the Westminster Magistrates Court's hearing in London today on the merits of Serbia's request for the arrest of Ejup Ganic, his lawyers questioned if the request was legal, arguing that Serbia's warrant is based on an outdated investigation.

The judge in the case set the next hearing for March 25, while there have been reports that the current Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency, Haris Silajdzic, may be headed to the UK tomorrow.

Ganic was present at the hearing together with his team of lawyers, John Jones and Clare Montgomery, the Bosnian ambassador to the UK, and his family.

Ejup Ganic was arrested on March 1 at Heathrow airport in London on a Serbian warrant. He has been held in detention since his arrest.

Serbia suspects Ganic, who was a member of the wartime presidency of Bosnia, of war crimes related to his alleged involvement in an attack on a convoy of the Yugoslav People's Army as it was leaving Sarajevo in May 1992. 

The Defence today noted that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had previously rejected allegations against Ganic.

The Court said that another hearing on the merits of the case would be held on March 25, noting that Serbia needed to deliver information on its case against Ganic. Under Serbia's extradition agreements with the UK, it has 45 days from the date of the arrest to send the UK the details of the case.

The Prosecution had asked that the next merit hearing be held on April 11. Ganic's family said after the hearing that they considered the court's decision to hold the hearing earlier to be a good step.

Ganic will go before an administrative court for a bail hearing on Thursday. If he is freed on bail, he will be required to return to court on March 25.

Serbia did not send a representative for the hearing, but its case was presented by the British Crown Prosecution Service.

Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said today that Serbia will send its request for the extradition of Ganic by the end of the week, according to Serbian broadcaster B92. She added that there were hundreds of documents that needed to be translated before the request was sent to the UK.

Ganic, who is a close friend of several British politicians, including former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has hired a team of prominent British lawyers.

John Jones specialises in extradition law, war crimes and counter-terrorism. He has appeared as counsel before a number of international courts and tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, in the case of Naser Oric, a former commander of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Srebrenica. 

Jones was also on the defence team of Mehmed Alagic, a former general in the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rasim Delic, the highest ranking officer of the Army to be indicted by the ICTY.

He also worked as a law clerk and associate legal officer to Judge Antonio Cassese, the first president of the ICTY.

Clare Montgomery is a prominent UK lawyer. She represented former Chilean leader General Pinochet in the House of Lords, among other major cases, and she is considered to be an expert in extradition law.

More on Ejup Ganic here.