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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

178 detained, 45 arrested in riots across Serbia

Belgrade, 22 March 2004

Serbian Assistant Minister of Interior and head of the State Security Service Miroslav Milosevic told a press conference today that situation in Serbia is stable since there were no incidents in the past three days. He said that during the unrests which erupted in central Serbia as a response to escalation of violence against Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, police detained 178 persons, of which 45 were arrested. The police filed 65 requests for starting offence proceedings.

Miroslav Milosevic

Milosevic said that police cleared up the attempt of torching a mosque in Oraovica near Presevo, adding that Nis and Belgrade police each filed criminal charges against ten persons involved in the burning of mosques in the two cities.

Milosevic said that the Serbian Ministry of Interior ordered the Gendarmerie headquarters to form special anti-terrorist units in southern Serbia, while the Serbian police units stationed near the former Ground Safety Zone have been put to top combat alert. Also, operational collection of data on the activities of members of the former Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja was stepped up, as well as patrolling through the zone.

The Assistant Minister of Interior said that the ministry secured 30 camp-trailers for provisional accommodation, which include around 600 portable beds and 2,000 sleeping bags, as well as a large number of household utensils and other necessities that will be sent as humanitarian aid to displaced Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

Milosevic confirmed that the head of the Belgrade Secretariat of Interior, Major-General Milan Obradovic, and the head of the police department in charge of the Belgrade municipality of Stari Grad, Lieutenant-Colonel Vladan Lukovic, were relieved of office due to the failure of Belgrade police to stop rioting mobs from torching the Bayrakli mosque.