Croatia Arrests ex-MP ahead of War Crimes Retrial

A former Croatian lawmaker facing a retrial after having his war crimes conviction quashed was arrested on Thursday to prevent him intimidating witnesses.

Branimir Glavas, who was transferred to a Zagreb prison after being arrested at his home in the eastern town of Osijek, said he would immediately begin a hunger strike in protest at "violations of his human rights", state-run HRT television reported. 

The Supreme Court ordered Glavas' arrest to prevent him intimidating witnesses and destroying evidence.

Glavas, also a Bosnian national, returned to Croatia in early February after being released from a Bosnian jail.

He had been serving an eight-year sentence for his part in the killing of Serb civilians at the start of the 1990s war in Croatia.

Glavas was released after Croatia's Constitutional Court quashed his conviction by the Supreme Court, citing procedural reasons, namely the use of inappropriate legal conventions.

He had been found guilty of ordering the 1991 abduction, torture and murder of at least 10 Serbs in Osijek, where he was defense chief at the start of Croatia's 1991-1995 war.

The case was sent back to the Supreme Court for a new trial.

Croatia's proclamation of independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 sparked a four-year war with Belgrade-backed rebel Serbs who opposed the move.

The proper handling of war crimes cases involving Croatian nationals was among key criteria for the country to join the European Union. Croatia became the bloc's 28th member in 2013.