BOSNIAN SERBS ALLOW NO ACCESS TO CAPTURED AID WORKERS

SARAJEVO, April 8 (Hina) - Bosnian Serbs are still holding in detention eight humanitarian workers captured near Sarajevo. According to the International Red Cross spokeswoman, Nina Winquist, the Serbs have been persistently refusing to allow visits to Simon Gerber and Maria Vernl-Matic, Swiss citizens and UNESCO officials, captured four days ago on a road between the Sarajevo airport and the city. One could only suppose that Gerber and Matic were still in prison at Ilidza (Serb-controlled Sarajevo suburb), Winquist added. Four French and an American, working with Pharmacists Without Frontiers, were detained at the 'Kula' jail near Sarajevo six weeks ago, while German humanitarian activist Ludwig Kraus was supposedly held in the 'Lukavica' Serb military barrack. All of them were charged with assistance to Bosnian army. The ICRC spokeswoman also confirmed that nine workers with the Banja Luka branch of the humanitarian organization "Merhamet", have also been in Serb detention for over a month. Nothing was known about their fate, she added. (Hina) mm bk 081550 MET apr 95