Serbia ‘Wasn’t Asked’ to Prosecute Doctor for Bosnia War Crime

The Bosnian state prosecution has never asked for the case against Dusko Kornjaca, who is charged with committing war crimes in the Cajnice area during the Bosnian conflict, to be handed over to the judiciary in Serbia, where he now lives and works at a clinical centre, Belgrade Higher Court has confirmed.

Bosnia has issued a warrant for Kornjaca's arrest for allegedly planning and ordering the persecution of the non-Serb population in the municipality of Cajnice in 1992.

The case became a political issue last month after Bosnian newspaper Oslobodjenje reported that he is living freely in the Serbian city of Novi Sad.

After criticism from anti-war activists, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic got involved in the row, saying that Kornjaca has Serbian citizenship and is a "distinguished doctor".

"I will not [extradite Kornjaca] and apart from that, I don't have the right according to any law of the Republic of Serbia. I will never protect any war criminal, but I will protect the legal order and protect principles," Vucic told media last month.

At the time of the alleged crimes, Kornjaca was president of the Serb-run Crisis Committee in Cajnice and then commander of the municipal wartime headquarters, and at the same time leader of the municipal assembly and a defence minister in the self-proclaimed Serbian Autonomous Region of Herzegovina government.

"Kornjaca organised the detention of Bosniaks in various locations in which they were killed and abused, while their property and religious facilities were destroyed," the indictment alleged.

He has denied any wrongdoing: "A terrible crime was committed then, but I had nothing to do with it. Despite that, I carry sorrow in my soul because of what happened, just...