Aussie sought for war crimes

ZAGREB - Croatia will ask Australia to extradite a Serb commander, now an Australian citizen, charged with war crimes committed during Croatia's 1991-95 independence war.

Croatia accuses Dragan Vasiljkovic of torturing and killing Croat soldiers and civilians in the rebel Serb-held territories when he commanded a Serb paramilitary unit. Vasiljkovic also has Serbian citizenship. Justice Minister Vesna Skare-Ozbold said Australia can extradite citizens to countries where they face legal proceedings.

"Any country which is a UN member is also under obligation to open a trial itself if it does not extradite its citizen charged with war crimes."

Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, but its Serb minority, backed by Belgrade, rebelled against it and seized a third of the country. Croatia crushed the rebellion in 1995.

- REUTERS