BELGRADE, June 13 (Hina) - Serbian Police Minister Dusan Mihajlovic on Friday confirmed that Hague indictee Veselin Sljivancanin had been arrested, was in custody in Belgrade's central prison, and that now legal proceedings were to
follow to have him extradited to the U.N. war crimes tribunal.
BELGRADE, June 13 (Hina) - Serbian Police Minister Dusan Mihajlovic
on Friday confirmed that Hague indictee Veselin Sljivancanin had
been arrested, was in custody in Belgrade's central prison, and
that now legal proceedings were to follow to have him extradited to
the U.N. war crimes tribunal. #L#
Mihajlovic spoke to reporters during a visit to police injured
during the action launched to arrest Sljivancanin. He said that
charges would be pressed against the organisers and participants in
demonstrations during last night's ten-hour raid to arrest
Sljivancanin.
More than 50 police were injured, of whom three seriously, in
conflicts with about 1,000 demonstrators and police. Some
demonstrators had been injured too. During the clashes, stones,
bottles and other objects were thrown, causing damage to parked
cars and buildings surrounding Sljivancanin's apartment.
The police endeavoured to conduct the arrest as professionally as
possible without the use of force, Mihajlovic said.
An official statement issued on Thursday night by Serbia's Interior
Ministry said the operation was conducted with special care because
of reports that members of Sljivancanin's family were in the
apartment at the time, as well as neighbours in the building.
The statement further said that members of the so-called Committee
to Defend Sljivancanin, as well as the heads of some opposition
parties, hampered and slowed down the operation.
(hina) sp ha