London court grants bail to former Bosnian leader

LONDON (Reuters) - A former member of the Bosnian wartime presidency, Ejup Ganic, who was arrested in Britain last week on suspicion of war crimes, was released on bail by the High Court in London on Thursday.

Ganic, 64, being held in London's Wandsworth prison, was granted bail by two judges "subject to stringent conditions" the domestic news agency Press Association reported.

He was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on March 1 at the request of Serbian authorities.

At the time, British police said he was held under a provisional extradition warrant for alleged "conspiracy to murder with other named people and breach of the Geneva Convention, namely killing wounded soldiers."

Ganic, who lives in Sarajevo, is one of 19 people wanted in connection with an attack by Bosnian forces on a retreating column of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in Sarajevo in May 1992, one of the opening salvoes of a conflict that tore Bosnia apart.

Serbian authorities say scores of JNA troops were killed or wounded in the attack.

Lord Justice Laws said a sum of 300,000 pounds ($447,600) had been provided as security for Ganic's release by a "well-wisher" who was, the court understood, "a lady of substantial means."

He was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 13 for the extradition hearing.

The Serbian government said the decision to release him did not mean he was a free man.

"Serbia filed a request for Ganic's extradition to British authorities yesterday and we believe we offered enough evidence for that," a Serbian justice ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Under the bail conditions he must live at a specified address in London, which was not disclosed in court. He must also report to a police station on a daily basis.

Ganic was previously refused bail because of fears he might abscond.

His lawyer, Clare Montgomery, said in court the allegations against him had already been rejected by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and accused the Serbian government of abusing extradition laws for political gain.

After his arrest, thousands of Bosnians protested outside the British and Serbian embassies in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo demanding his release.

The other 18 people wanted by Belgrade are also former officials of Bosnia's wartime government.

Ganic is manager of the private School of Science and Technology in Sarajevo. He no longer holds public office.

The U.S.-brokered Dayton peace accord ended Bosnia's 1992-95 war, dividing the country in two autonomous regions, the Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat federation.

(Additional reporting by Belgrade bureau; editing by Ralph Boulton)

(Writing by Stefano Ambrogi; Editing by Andrew Dobbie)