AKASHI INSISTS WITH KARADZIC TO RELEASE JOURNALIST

ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - UN Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi today asked the Bosnian Serb psychiatrist leader, Radovan Karadzic, to use his influence to free a Bosnian journalist kidnapped by Serb troops several days ago, the UN in Zagreb said today. The journalist, Namik Berberovic, was kidnapped on Jan 26 from a UN armoured carrier on the road to Sarajevo airport, where Serb troops had set up an illegal checkpoint. Akashi wrote to Karadzic a few days ago expressing concern over this "arbitrary and unjustified arest", asking him to ensure Berberovic was immediately released. UN spokesman in Zagreb, Michael Williams, said the Serbs were rather confused about the charges they were pinning on Berberovic. They first thought he was a spy, then a Bosnian army reserve officer, and eventually pronounced him to be good prisoner exchange material. Akashi had so far received no answer from Karadzic, Williams said. (hina) jn as 021608 MET feb 95