Serbia warns France over extradition of Kosovo ex-premier

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Serbia warned on Friday that it would ignore future possible extradition requests for terrorism and other suspects wanted by France and other European countries if French courts don't hand over a former Kosovo prime minister to the Balkan country.

The Serbian government demanded the "urgent and immediate" extradition of Ramush Haradinaj, who was detained last week in France on a Serbian arrest warrant.

A French court on Thursday ordered the release of Haradinaj pending a decision on whether to extradite him to Serbia, where he's wanted on war crimes charges. He must stay in France under judicial supervision while his case is being studied.

Serbia's president, Tomislav Nikolic, said that Haradinaj's release was the result of EU pressure, signaling the Serbian charges will be rejected.

"I believe the European Union issued such a directive to all member states," he told Vecernje Novosti newspaper.

Haradinaj, a former guerrilla commander in Kosovo's 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia, was cleared of war crimes charges by a U.N. tribunal.

Marko Djuric, head of the Serbian government office for Kosovo, said that Serbia would retaliate not only against France, but all the countries that have been ignoring Serbian extradition requests.

"This does not refer only to France, but also to Slovenia, Switzerland and other countries who have released others who are charged with similar crimes, and all that for political reasons," Djuric said.

France and most European countries recognized Kosovo's independence after it seceded from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia and its Slavic ally Russia did not. Haradinaj's arrest has further strained tense Serbia-Kosovo relations.

Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but has been sliding toward Russia, which wants it to remain its strategic partner in the volatile Balkan region.