War crimes convict Dragan Vasiljkovic, aka Captain Dragan, was released from the prison in Lepoglava on Saturday morning, after which he was banished from Croatia.

Vasiljkovic was transferred to the border crossing of Bajakovo on the border with Serbia and banned from entering the European Economic Area for a period of 20 years.

The Justice Ministry confirmed that Vasiljkovic was released after serving his sentence in full.

Vasiljkovic was given 13.5 years for crimes committed against prisoners of war in the Croatian towns of Knin and Glina during the 1991-95 Homeland War. He was acquitted, due to lack of evidence, of the charge that he ordered the murder of two unidentified Croatian POWs in Bruska near Benkovac in 1993.

Given that the eight years and nine months he had spent in the extradition prison in Australia were credited to his sentence, Vasiljkovic's sentence expired in March this year.

Born in Belgrade and holding the citizenship of both Serbia and Australia, Vasiljkovic was arrested 13 years ago in Australia where he lived under a false name and worked as a golf coach.

He was extradited to Croatia in July 2015 and denied the charges from the very start of the trial, accusing witnesses of perjury.