The court found that all legal prerequisites had been met for the extradition of Purda, currently held in Zenica prison, to Serbia which wants him in connection with alleged war crimes against prisoners of war and infirm people, according to Hadzic.

Considering the evidence and documentation accompanying Serbia's request for extradition, the court found that Purda may be extradited to Serbia because he is not a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina and has not formally requested asylum in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The court established that the international warrant for his arrest was issued by relevant agencies and the request for his extradition was sent within a required deadline.

The court did not assess the evidence itself that may possibly refer to Purda's guilt, but only the legal prerequisites for his extradition.

Copies of the ruling have been delivered to the parties and they may appeal within three days, according to Hadzic.

The Appeals Chamber will consider appeals and is expected to deliver its ruling "relatively fast", the spokeswoman said.

However, it is Bosnia's Justice Minister, Barisa Colak, who has a final say in the matter. He can either uphold the court's ruling or turn it down, which means that he will decide whether Purda will be handed over to Serbia or not.

Purda was arrested in the northern Bosnian town of Orasje on 5 January on an international warrant issued in Serbia whose prosecutorial authorities suspect him of committing war crimes in Vukovar in 1991. Since his arrest, Purda has been held in prison in Zenica, central Bosnia.