Velika Kladusa Mayor Fikret Abdic was temporarily released from prison in Bihac so he can participate in electioneering for the coming local election in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the hope of winning another term in office.

The unprecedented campaign comes after Abdic's defence attorneys lodged an appeal with a local court and the Central Electoral Commission (SIP), claiming that Abdic could not exercise his rights as guaranteed by the election law.

Abdic's Labour Party had previously accused SIP of bringing his fundamental human rights into question by tolerating the fact that he was in jail despite being a candidate in the election.

As soon as he was released, Abdic addressed citizens from his office window saying that not one other party had any new ideas and that he hoped he would be re-elected as mayor.

Abdic was arrested in June on the suspicion of corruption and abuse of office.

Local prosecutorial authorities asked that he be placed in custody until the completion of the investigation, and on October 8 the court ruled that he should stay in custody for another two months.

The court did not explain whether and when Abdic would return to police custody.

Abdic was previously sentenced in Croatia to 15 years in prison for war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served ten a half years of that sentence and was released in 2012.