Poland detains Serbian-Canadian man wanted for alleged war crimes

Polish border guards detained a 79-year-old Serbian-Canadian citizen wanted by Croatia under a European Arrest Warrant for his alleged involvement in war crimes in 1991, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Croatia says the suspect issued orders and participated in acts including unlawful detention, torture and killings of civilians, as well as looting and arson while serving in Serbian paramilitary forces in the Balkan wars.

The man, named only as Zivko Z. because of Polish privacy laws, was detained at Warsaw's Chopin Airport. He pleaded not guilty to the offences listed in the European Arrest Warrant, prosecutors said.

Polish prosecutors have asked a court for permission to transfer Zivko Z. to Croatia, where he faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

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