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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Detention for suspected instigators of violence at matches to be revised

Belgrade, 14 October 2010

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic stated today that the government adopted a proposal regarding criminal procedure, which enables an extension of the detention period for detainees suspected of causing violence at sports events, and will forward it to the Parliament for adoption.

Appearing in the Kaziprst show on RTV B92, Dacic underlined that the security situation in Serbia is stable, regardless of incidents on 10 October in Belgrade, during the Pride Parade, and then on 12 October at the Italy-Serbia football match in Genoa.

He said this was concluded at last night’s session of the National Security Council, even though citizens are very anxious about the violence that broke out on the streets of the capital.

According to the Italian police, seven football fans from Serbia were arrested in Italy – Strahinja Toljagic, Vladimir Delic, Goran Stanic, Ivan Bogdanov, Danijel Janjic, Nenad Radovic and Nikola Klickovic.

By 06.00 this morning a total of 529 fans were registered at border crossings and 169 were included in criminal records. Of these, 19 have been detained, 11 at the Batrovci crossing and eight at the Horgos crossing, Dacic specified.

The Minister explained that there are extremist groups among football fans, some of them nationalist, right-wing or pro-fascist, while some are linked with certain football fan groups.

There were 1,200–1,300 Serbian spectators in Genoa, of whom one or two hundred were responsible for the incident, Dacic noted, adding that there were omissions in the organisation of the game, although this is not a justification for those who misbehaved.

We now have to decide whether to hold the football derby between Partizan and Red Star, scheduled for 23 October in Belgrade. The Football Association of Serbia, the Ministry of the Interior and other security services must first assess the security situation, Dacic observed.

He announced that the parliamentary Committee for Defence and Security will convene today to discuss the latest events.

The police are also trying to establish who is responsible for the death of Ranko Panic at a rally held on 29 July 2008 in Belgrade.

The Minister declared that he has scheduled a meeting for 16 October with Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Milan Markovic and representatives from police unions to discuss the collective agreement for police employees.