A former president of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ejup Ganic, has been arrested at Heathrow airport in London for alleged war crimes and made an appearance before magistrates, Scotland Yard said Monday, dpa reported.
The Foreign Office confirmed the arrest, but said in a statement: "As the case is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
Scotland Yard said the 63-year-old was picked up as he was preparing to leave Britain after a provisional extradition warrant was issued by the Serbian government.
He was detained at around 1400 GMT Monday and appeared before the City of Westminster Magistrates Court during the afternoon.
The Serbian authorities are now expected to file papers to support their extradition request before a date for an extradition hearing can be fixed.
Ganic is accused of alleged conspiracy to murder wounded soldiers in breach of the Geneva Convention, Scotland Yard said.
Ganic was president and vice-president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the end of 1997 to 2001.
It is alleged that he was involved in an attack in May 1992 on a Yugoslav army convoy in Sarajevo in which 42 soldiers were killed and 73 injured.