Croatian Court Orders Ex-Spy Chief's Extradition To Germany
A Croatian court has ordered the extradition to Germany of the country’s former intelligence chief, Josip Perkovic.
Lawyers for Perkovic said they will appeal the January 8 ruling by the court in Zagreb approving Perkovic's extradition under a European Arrest Warrant.
Perkovic is accused in connection with the 1983 murder in Germany of a Yugoslav dissident, Stjepan Djurekovic.
The murder was allegedly ordered by Yugoslavia’s intelligence agency.
Perkovic was a Yugoslav secret service agent in the 1980s.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, he helped create independent Croatia’s intelligence service.
Croatia had initially refused to hand over Perkovic, citing a law prohibiting such extraditions.
But the law was amended last year under pressure from the European Union, which Croatia joined in July.
Lawyers for Perkovic said they will appeal the January 8 ruling by the court in Zagreb approving Perkovic's extradition under a European Arrest Warrant.
Perkovic is accused in connection with the 1983 murder in Germany of a Yugoslav dissident, Stjepan Djurekovic.
The murder was allegedly ordered by Yugoslavia’s intelligence agency.
Perkovic was a Yugoslav secret service agent in the 1980s.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, he helped create independent Croatia’s intelligence service.
Croatia had initially refused to hand over Perkovic, citing a law prohibiting such extraditions.
But the law was amended last year under pressure from the European Union, which Croatia joined in July.
