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In 2005 Abdic was sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes in the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, WBAR. On December 13 this year the Conditional Discharge Committee of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia rendered a decision on his early release this was confirmed by the Democratic National Community, DNZ of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Higher Public Prosecution in Bihac filed an indictment against Abdic in August 1996. Pursuant to a decision made by the Supreme Court of Croatia in 2001, the case was taken over by Croatian judiciary, which eventually rendered a verdict of conviction.
Jasmin Mesic, Prosecutor with the Una-Sana Cantonal Prosecution, told BIRN Justice Report that no investigations against Fikret Abdic were conducted by the Bihac Cantonal Prosecution at present.
As a result of the investigation we conducted, an indictment was filed and referred to Croatian judiciary. He was sentenced as per that specific indictment, Mesic explained.
The DNZ says that they did not expect Abdic to be released early, because they were disappointed in judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia.
The two countries are connected through a political scheme. Both sides have an interest in keeping Fikret Abdic behind bars as long as possible. I think that Abdics arrival in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina would lead to a political, economic and social reversal, said Esad Covic, Political Coordinator of DNZ BiH.
Covic said that he thought that the failure to release Abdic to liberty even sooner was caused by political reasons.
Fikret Abdic, former member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded the WBAR in 1993. The Region existed until 1995. Abdic was sentenced in Croatia to 15 years in prison for committing crimes in that area.S.U.
