BUENOS AIRES: A former Bosnian Serb paramilitary leader sought by international courts for crimes against humanity has agreed to be extradited and face charges before a UN tribunal, according to court documents.
In a court appearance a day after his capture in Buenos Aires, Milan Lukic yesterday dismissed allegations he committed atrocities during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. "I want to tell the truth and remove this stain from my life because I've been accused of something I did not do," Lukic said, according to a court transcript.
He "expressed his willingness to be sent to the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague on condition it be done as soon as possible".
Serb officials say Lukic led a paramilitary group known as "The Avengers" or "White Eagles." He also has been linked to several prominent killings during the war. He had been on the run for years before his arrest on Monday. The paramilitary group is believed to be responsible for the abduction, torture and killing of at least 100 Bosnian Muslims.
Earlier this year, he was convicted of the murders of 16 Muslims and sentenced in his absence by a Belgrade court to 20 years in prison.