PRIEST, TERMED WAR CRIMINAL, BACK IN YUGOSLAVIA

By RICHARD EDER
Special to The New York Times

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia, Nov. 10 - The Yugoslav Government announced today that a 64-year-old priest whom it had branded as a war criminal returned voluntarily to Yugoslavia eight weeks ago to face possible trial.

The announcement, at a news conference, that the Rev. Krunoslav Draganovic, who was a leading member of the emigre opposition, was now in Sarajevo ended the mystery over his disappearance from Trieste on Sept. 16, while he was en route from Rome to Vienna.

Rumors that Father Dragonovic had been kidnapped by Yugoslav officials have appeared recently in Austrian and Italian newspapers. The Austrian Government, deeply concerned about the case, was reported to have been awaiting a report from the Italian authorities before making formal inquiries here.

Avdo Humo, the Yugoslav spokesman, indicated that the growing international speculation about the case had led the Government to reply in detail to questions about it. The main part of his presentation was a photocopy of a seven-page handwritten letter, which he said had been written by Father Dragonovic and which describes the priest's reasons for returning.

Case Under Investigation

The federal prosecutor, Vladimir Djukic, who answered most of the questions at the news conference, said that Father Dragonovic's case was under investigation but that he was not being detained and had not been formally charged.

Tanyug, the official press agency, said that charges might not be brought.

Mr. Humo said that before his return Father Draganovic had been in touch with Yugoslav officials to ask what would be done if he were to return. Mr. Humo did not disclose the reply.

Was Professor of Theology

According to some reports, these contacts took place in Rome an there is speculation that the Vatican, which has been seeking to improve relations with Yugoslavia, may have encouraged them.

It was not possible today to reach the priest, whose whereabouts in Sarajevo has not been disclosed by the Government although it invited the press to see him.

Father Dragonovic, who is a Croat and comes from Bosnia, a region inhabited both by Croats and Serbs, was a professor of theology in Sarajevo before World War II. An ardent Croatian nationalist, he joined the Government of the German-dominated Republic of Croatia, in which extreme nationalism shaded into outright Nazism.

According to his letter, he has, in recent years, withdrawn from political activities and concentrated on historical studies. At this time, the letter says, he became increasingly aware of the dilemma of reconciling his views about Yogoslavia [sic] with what he learned of reforms here.