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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Dacic calls on political parties to show restraint and responsibility

Belgrade, 30 July 2008

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic commented this evening on last night’s riots in Belgrade and said that the Interior Ministry gave orders to the police not to use force at the protest, to maintain order and pubic safety for all participants at the protest and to protect journalists.

Author: RTS

In a statement for Radio Television of Serbia, Dacic said that police had the order to intervene only in case they were attacked, and added that police were entrusted with the security of state institutions and embassies.

He said that those responsible for the riots in Belgrade over the arrest of Hague indictee Radovan Karadzic were a group of protesters who attacked the police. He explained that incidents began before the end of the gathering, when a group of participants separated from the crowd and brutally attacked policemen with stones, sticks and bottles.

According to Dacic, several warnings were issued, but it was not possible to respond in any other way but to act against those at the protest who provoked clashes by attacking the police.

Dacic said that 82 people were hurt in the clashes, 58 of them are policemen, and added that since the introduction of a multiparty system in Serbia it has not been seen that twice the number of policemen than participants are injured at a protest.

He said that until now 19 people have been arrested, including a few juveniles. He added that criminal and misdemeanour charges will be brought against them.

Everyone has the right to demonstrate and express their opinion, but I think that it is time that attacks on police cease to be a hobby, said Dacic and expressed regret over the events.

He said that policemen took part in defending the state in Kosovo-Metohija and their monthly salaries are RSD 30,000, and added that members of the public should not express their dissatisfaction by attacking the police.

Dacic also stressed that the role of the police is not political, and they are not responsible for changing the political factors on Serbia’s political scene.

He invited all political parties in the country to show political restraint and responsibility so that events which are of no advantage to anybody are not repeated. He reiterated that the Interior Ministry did not participate in the locating and arrest of Karadzic, which does not mean that he was arrested in an illegal manner.