The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered a month of detention for Bosnian Serb Dario Ristic, who fought on the side of Russia in Ukraine, where he lost a leg during the conflict.
Ristic surrendered to BiH authorities last week after learning that an international Interpol arrest warrant had been issued for him, his lawyer Rade Qulibrk confirmed.
He was arrested at Sarajevo International Airport. He was then handed over to the jurisdiction of the Court of BiH, which ordered his detention, reports Telegrafi.
A Russian volunteer originally from Modrica is accused of participating in conflicts as a member of the Russian military forces in Ukraine. Ristic was recruited in November 2023, after being released from a Swiss prison.
He fought in Ukraine as a member of the “Eternal Bears” unit, which includes mostly volunteers from Serbia.
The videos and photos he posted show his recruitment and training in Russia and Ukraine, all the way to the Donetsk region. There he was seriously injured and had his leg amputated.
According to BiH legislation, fighting in foreign military formations is considered a criminal offense. BiH has so far convicted members of foreign armed formations in dozens of cases, including members of the terrorist organization Islamic State, who are often sanctioned with light prison sentences. /Telegraph/