Decision on Sakib Dautovic's status
23 September 2008 A hearing in the case of Sakib Dautovic, who is suspected of crimes committed in Velika Kladusa, is due to take place before Norwegian regional court in early November.
The Norwegian Regional Court refused to extradite Sakib Dautovic to local authorities due to "unsatisfactory" living conditions in local prisons.
Two hearings will be held on November 11 and 12 in order to decide his future and the conditions of eventual deportation or trial in Norway. Dautovic does not have the Norwegian citizenship, so he could be extradited eventually.
In May 2007 the Norwegian authorities arrested Dautovic under a suspicion that he participated, as member of the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, ND WBAR, in crimes in the Velika Kladusa area.
In making this decision the Court called upon a decision rendered by the European Court for Human Rights of May 27, 2008, which indicates that human right of certain prisoners, who were held in the Zenica prison, were violated "due to ethnic differences".
For this reason, the Court expressed its concern over the fact that Dautovic might have problems with "other prisoners and guards, who might consider him as betrayer".
Many international and local organisations have pointed to bad living conditions in prisons in Bosnia and Herzegovina on several occasions. For this reason, they advocated for the building of a state prison, which should fulfill European standards.
As reported by Norwegian media, the Regional Court might decide to extradite Dautovic to Bosnian authorities if they guarantee that the existing problems in prisons would be solved. Otherwise, he will be tried in Norway.
In 2007, Norway adopted new laws, which treat crimes against humanity, war crime, genocide and terrorism.
In late August 2008 the trial of Mirsad Repak, former member of the Croatian Armed Forces, HOS, who is charged with crimes committed in Dretelj detention camp, near Capljina, in 1992, started in Oslo.
The trial of Repak is the first war crime trial conducted in Norway since the end of the World War Two.
Repak and Dautovic are among several tens of persons, coming from former Yugoslav countries, who are facing trials or deportations for having committed war crimes.
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The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
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