Minister dismisses accusations of "political arrests"

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said today in Belgrade that, "in the future", anyone who endangers Serbia's constitutional order will be placed under arrest. He also rejected accusations that arrests of ethnic Albanians on the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia constituted for "political arrests". Minister dismisses accusations of "political arrests" The two suspects detained on Wednesday had warrants issued against them on criminal charges, he explained, and wondered why "NGOs reacted strongly to the arrests of two Albanians, while remaining silent when Serbs in Kosovo were arrested". "Imagine how many people there are in Kosovo and Metohija who are violating Serbia's constitutional order, you are aware how many could be targeted when they are crossing into central Serbia," continued Dacic, and added this referred to those employed by the Kosovo police, KPS, and "other Kosovo institutions". Dacic once again stressed that "the problem" was that Serb police officers and postmen were being arrested in Kosovo and Metohija, without any reaction, "including from the international community", while when the two Albanians were detained - one for drug trafficking, and the other on espionage charges - this was dubbed "political": "There should at least be some common decency. Yesterday, as soon as the Albanians were under arrest, I received calls from some international officials in Serbia. They should not call me. Anyone who endangers Serbia's constitutional order will be arrested in the coming period." The minister also addressed the issue of an agreement on freedom of movement reached during the Kosovo dialogue in Brussels, to say it was "evidently not being respected, since Serbs are being arrested every day", with such charges as "carrying of election lists" being cited against them. "And, nobody's reacting to this, not international institutions, not NGOs, and for that reason - just let me do my job," the interior minister stated today. He at the same time refused to specify what the "reciprocal measures" that he announced on Wednesday will be, saying only that if he did reveal them, "that might in a way warn those to whom the measures apply". Dacic further stressed that he would "ask the state of Serbia" to make the issue of innocent people arrested in Kosovo its priority. "Our policemen cannot be in prison just because they work in Vranje (central Serbia)," he noted. "That's a blow to the state of Serbia. As they treat us, we will treat them. After all I'm not a religious fanatic to turn the other cheek - he who strikes shall receive his answer," Dacic said. Ivica Dacic (Beta, file) Tanjug

Minister dismisses accusations of "political arrests"

The two suspects detained on Wednesday had warrants issued against them on criminal charges, he explained, and wondered why "NGOs reacted strongly to the arrests of two Albanians, while remaining silent when Serbs in Kosovo were arrested".

"Imagine how many people there are in Kosovo and Metohija who are violating Serbia's constitutional order, you are aware how many could be targeted when they are crossing into central Serbia," continued Dačić, and added this referred to those employed by the Kosovo police, KPS, and "other Kosovo institutions".

Dačić once again stressed that "the problem" was that Serb police officers and postmen were being arrested in Kosovo and Metohija, without any reaction, "including from the international community", while when the two Albanians were detained - one for drug trafficking, and the other on espionage charges - this was dubbed "political":

"There should at least be some common decency. Yesterday, as soon as the Albanians were under arrest, I received calls from some international officials in Serbia. They should not call me. Anyone who endangers Serbia's constitutional order will be arrested in the coming period."

The minister also addressed the issue of an agreement on freedom of movement reached during the Kosovo dialogue in Brussels, to say it was "evidently not being respected, since Serbs are being arrested every day", with such charges as "carrying of election lists" being cited against them.

"And, nobody's reacting to this, not international institutions, not NGOs, and for that reason - just let me do my job," the interior minister stated today.

He at the same time refused to specify what the "reciprocal measures" that he announced on Wednesday will be, saying only that if he did reveal them, "that might in a way warn those to whom the measures apply".

Dačić further stressed that he would "ask the state of Serbia" to make the issue of innocent people arrested in Kosovo its priority. "Our policemen cannot be in prison just because they work in Vranje (central Serbia)," he noted.

"That's a blow to the state of Serbia. As they treat us, we will treat them. After all I'm not a religious fanatic to turn the other cheek - he who strikes shall receive his answer," Dačić said.