Balkans: Former member of notorious Zvornik Brigade leaves US following denaturalization

KUNA - A former member of the Bosnian Serb Army has left the US, returning to Serbia, after a federal judge ordered his denaturalization based on "concealment during his application for US citizenship that he served in the military during the Bosnian war," the US Justice Department announced late Thursday.

The Department indicated that Jadranko Gostic, 47, a former resident of Florida, departed the country on Tuesday and he his denaturalization was ordered in May.

It added that Gostic "was indicted in December 2006 on one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship and one count of making false statements." Court documents allege that Gostic served in the Zvornik Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army from April 1992 until December 1995.

According to court documents, "international tribunals have found that some units of the Zvornik Brigade engaged in war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that they participated in the July 1995 action against the Srebrenica enclave during which some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed."

The Justice Department indicated that Gostic entered the US in 1999, received lawful permanent residence status in 2002 and was naturalized in 2004, where according to court documents, "at each stage of the immigration and naturalization process Gostic concealed his service in the Zvornik Brigade, even when specifically asked about his prior military service."

See also Sydney Irresistible and Mike Hitchen Unleashed
Putting principles before profits