Dusko Vujnovic, who has been sentenced in absentia for war crimes, was handed over to Croatian police at Zagreb airport on Thursday after being arrested in Germany on August 17.

In a press release on Saturday, the Croatian Interior Ministry said the 55-year-old was handed over based on a European arrest warrant issued by the Sibenik County Court so that he could serve a prison sentence for crimes against civilians.

Vujnovic was sentenced in absentia to ten years in 1997. According to the ruling, he killed a civilian in Drnis on 12 November 1993 during armed conflicts between Croatian forces and Serb paramilitaries. The crime was qualified as a war crime.

Vujnovic was living in the US and was granted US citizenship. He was arrested at Frankfurt Airport en route from the US to Belgrade.

Since he was sentenced in absentia, he is entitled to a retrial.