The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has requested from the Republic of Turkey to extradite Bosnian national, wartime military commander, Sakib Mahmuljin, after he did not appear for the serving of his 8-year sentence for war crimes in 1995, according to investigative media outlet Detektor.

The court ordered the issuing of an international warrant on November 22, 2022, but Mahmuljin was previously summoned to take over a document which says he has to appear on December 6, 2022 to serve the prison sentence.

Four months after the order was issued, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina told the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) that Mahmuljin did not show up and that Turkey was asked to extradite him.

At the end of April 2022, the Appellate Panel of the State Court sentenced former commander of the Third Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sakib Mahmuljin to a total of eight years in prison for crimes in 1995 in Vozuca and Zavidovici.

Sakib Mahmuljin, convicted of war crimes, fails to show up to serve time

Mahmuljin was sentenced to one year for war crimes against the civilian population, one year and six months for war crimes against the wounded and sick, and six years and six months for war crimes against prisoners of war, eight years in total.

The former commander of the 3rd Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina was convicted after the court decided that he failed to prevent the murders and inhumane treatment of the Serbs conducted by ‘El Mujahedeen’ unit in the area of Vozuca and Zavidovici in 1995.

The Appellate Chamber annulled the first-instance verdict in November 2021 and ordered a new trial, which started with an appeal procedure, with the prosecution and defence teams presenting their proposals.