Serbian government's coordinator for public relations and State Secretary in the Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen stated Monday that the extradition of Ratko Mladic to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will last at least two and maximum four days.

Homen stated for Belgrade TV B92 that requirements for Mladic's extradition based on Serbia's obligation to cooperate with the ICTY have been met, recalling that the deadline to appeal his extradition expires Monday at 5 p.m.

If the appeal is not received by that time, another 24 hours will be given in case the appeal was sent by mail. Once the appeal is received, a three-day deadline for discussion will follow, while the court is allowed to pass a ruling at once and forward it to the Ministry of Justice, Homen explained.

Once the appeal, which would probably refer to Mladic's poor physical and mental condition, reaches the Higher Court in Belgrade it will be decided whether to abolish or enforce the first instance decision, and in case the first instance decision is enforced the document will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, Homen explained.

He underlined that the Ministry of Justice is expected to agree with the decision of the court, and that the justice minister will have the final word, just like in all other extradition cases.

Homen said that a team of doctors has examined Mladic, but that on the other hand his lawyer and family are doing everything to prevent the extradition.

Homen pointed out that Mladic has to stand a trial, not because of the international community or the fact that this is Serbia's precondition for joining the EU, but rather because of the events which took place in the nineties and the victims in Srebrenica, recalling that he was accused of murdering 7,000 people.