Zagreb/Sarajevo - The fugitive Croat politician convicted of war crimes against Serbs last week has been arrested Wednesday and ordered a 24-hour detention in Bosnia, but he may avoid prison in his home country owing to an adopted nationality. Branimir Glavas, 52, was sentenced Friday to 10 years for the torture and murder of Serbs in Osijek, in eastern Croatia, during his tenure as effective ruler of the area.
He can appeal the ruling, but was expected to be incarcerated as soon as Croatian parliament lifted his lawmaker's immunity. He however fled to Bosnia before police could apprehend him.
Now, though arrested, he may avoid serving time in Croatia because apart from Croatian citizenship, he also has a Bosnian nationality and laws of that country protect nationals from extradition.
His attorney Nikica Grzic told reporters that the detention was ordered for a thorough check of Glavas' status and documents. In an interview published Wednesday by the Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz, Glavas said he took Bosnian citizenship in October 2008.
The case prompted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic to call for a bilateral agreement of Zagreb and Sarajevo allowing mutual extradition and so remove an effective shelter of criminals in the former Yugoslavia, many of whom legally own multiple passports.
Glavas was one of the late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman's closest allies. During the country's four-year independence war against the Yugoslav army and a struggle with Belgrade-backed Serb insurgents, he was the commander in Osijek.
While dozens of Serbs were killed or disappeared during that time, Glavas and five others were sentenced to between five and 10 years for the murder and torture of seven Serbs.
