War crimes accused, Daniel Snedden, appealing extradition ruling in High Court

An Australian man wanted in Croatia over alleged war crimes has begun an appeal for a ruling on his extradition, his lawyer says.

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The lawyer for an Australian man wanted in Croatia over alleged war crimes says his client has begun an appeal process in the High Court against the Federal Court's latest ruling on his extradition.

In December, the full bench of the Federal Court ruled that Daniel Snedden was accorded procedural fairness when the former Justice Minister Jason Clare approved that he be extradited to Croatia.

 

Mr Snedden, who is also known as Dragan Vasiljkovic or Captain Dragan, was a paramilitary commander on the side of ethnic Serbs during the Croatian war in the 1990s.

 

The 60-year-old is accused on three counts of war crimes, and is currently detained in Sydney's Parklea prison.

 

Mr Snedden has been fighting extradition in the Australian courts for eight years, and it's believed the High Court will be his last legal avenue for appeal.

 

His lawyer Dan Mori told SBS he wants the Federal Court's decision to be tested.

 

"At this point we've filed the application for the High Court to ask the High Court to look at the procedural fairness issue and whether or not the minister incorrectly interpreted the Geneva Conventions," he said.

The paperwork has been filed. It'll take several months for both sides to file their paperwork and then we'll find out whether there'll actually be a hearing on it."

 

An earlier High Court ruling in 2010 allowed Australian authorities to surrender Mr Snedden to Croatia.

 

Mr Snedden denies the charges against him.