Alleged war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic arrives in Croatia

ALLEGED war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic has arrived in Croatia after being deported from Australia — the first accused war criminal Australia has ever extradited.

Landed ... Dragan Vasiljkovic who is charged with war crimes in Croatia, walks among police officers on his arrival at Zagreb airport. Picture: AFP/STRINGER

Alleged war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic has arrived in Croatia after being deported from Australia where he has fought moves to try him for war crimes for more than a decade.

The Serbian-born 60-year-old former paramilitary commander, known as Daniel Sneddon who migrated to Australia as a teenager, arrived in Zagreb late morning local time to be transferred to another aircraft to take him to the coastal city of Split where he is due to face trial.

“Those that have broken the law during the war, need to face the justice, whatever flag they were fighting for,” Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said at the press conference in Zagreb.

On the move ... Dragan Vasiljkovic arrived in Zagreb and was transferred to another aircraft to take him to the coastal city of Split where he is due to face trial. Picture: AFP/ STRINGER

Under Croatian law, a first appearance in court from extradition usually has to take place within 16 hours from arrival in country but he is not expected to speak with his newly appointed lawyer Darko Stanic until Friday.

Mr Stanic said: “The accusation will be filed soon after the first hearing as prosecutors have had enough time to prepare.”

Mr Stanic was court ordered to represent Vasiljkovic, with his failure to secure his own legal representation having delayed his extradition from Australia, but the accused could still file a motion locally to reject his lawyer and seek another thereby delaying a trial further. Mr Stanic has represented many clients accused of war crimes from both the Croatian and Serbian sides.

“Mr Vasiljkovic will have a fair trial,” Croatian Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic said after the suspect arrived.

After migrating to Australia, Vasiljkovic moved about the world and ended up back in Serbia where he became a military commander in the feared Red Berets whose ultimate commander was war criminal Slobodan Milosevic.

Captain Dragan, as Vasiljkovic was known, was the commander of his unit during the 1990s Balkan wars and allegedly involved in the mass torture and murder of numerous Croats including prisoners of war.

He returned to Australia and became a golf instructor before his 2006 arrest.

Battle lost ... Dragan Vasiljkovic fought his extradition for over a decade. Picture: Supplied.

Two months ago the Australian High Court refused him leave to appeal his extradition to Croatia where he claimed he could not get a fair trial and he was flown from a Sydney jail to Croatia making him the first accused war criminal to ever be extradited from Australia.

According to the Australian Federal Police, there are up to 70 Balkan identities living in Australia or carrying Australian passports wanted for war crimes.