BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro, Aug. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Serbia-Montenegro would request the extradition of a top Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect as he has been convicted in Serbia, a senior official said on Tuesday.

    "In view of the fact that proceedings against Milan Lukic were conducted in our country as well and that he has been sentenced to 20 years, we will request his extradition," Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic told the national Tanjug news agency. However, Milan Lukic, who was arrested in Argentina on Monday, would probably be extradited to The Hague international tribunal, which is conducting proceedings against the suspect and has precedence over domestic courts.

    Lukic, leader of a paramilitary group in Bosnia, was indicted by The Hague international tribunal in November 2000, for crimes against humanity by killing, harassing and terrorizing non-Serb civilians in Bosnia's Visegrad area during the Bosnian civil war. Serbia-Montenegro would have to wait for the end of the trial in The Hague and only then seek Lukic's extradition, Stojkovic said.

    On July 15, 2005, the Belgrade District Court sentenced Lukicin absentia to 20 years imprisonment for the abduction, torture and killing of 16 Muslims in western Serbia in October 1992.Enditem