Former Sarajevo judge Lejla Fazlagic Pasic, who evaded Bosnian justice for eight years by hiding in Croatia, appeared at the Sarajevo Cantonal Court on Monday. She pleaded not guilty to charges of abuse of office and authority.

“I returned to defend my honour,” Fazlagic Pasic stated, claiming the charges were fabricated due to conflicts with former Sarajevo Cantonal Chief Prosecutor Dalida Burzic, now a judge at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The prosecution alleges that from 2009 to 2016, Fazlagic Pasic was part of an organized crime group. The group is accused of illegally transferring property titles of deceased individuals to people without inheritance rights, then selling those properties and dividing the profits.

The group, allegedly led by former Bosnian Interior Minister Alija Delimustafic, is estimated to have illegally transferred real estate worth between four and five million euros.

Bosnia and Herzegovina sought Fazlagic Pasic's extradition from Croatia, but despite approval from Croatia’s Supreme Court, it never occurred. An international warrant was issued for her arrest.

In November 2023, the former judge negotiated, through her lawyer, her return to Bosnia on the condition that the international warrant be lifted and she would not be detained during the trial. Bosnian authorities accepted the deal, and the court proceedings will continue, separate from those against Delimustafic and other group members.

During Monday's hearing, Fazlagic Pasic requested permission to occasionally travel to Croatia, citing her child's health condition.