One detained for damaging Albanian-owned property

One detained for damaging Albanian-owned property

The statement issued by the MUP quoted him as saying that Serbia will not tolerate the spread of religious and ethnic hatred, and that all who decide to, in an inappropriate manner, destroy property owned by Albanians will be severely punished.

"The Ministry of Interior is working intensively to identify individuals who in recent days attacked facilities owned by our citizens of Albanian nationality. One person has been detained and on the order of the prosecutor, charges will be brought," Nikolić said.

He stressed that the police will protect everyone and guarantee security and equal protection to all its citizens.

"We are doing everything in our power to prevent these and similar attacks, despite the brutal provocation during the football match between the teams of Serbia and Albania," said Nikolić.

The attacks on businesses owned by Albanians continued overnight. Unknown persons last night set one bakery on fire and damaged five more stores in Novi Sad and Vršac, in the northern province of Vojvodina.

The wave of violence began after the incident during the UEFA qualifier in Belgrade on Tuesday.

Bajram Temaj who owns the "Evropa" bakery in Novi Sad that was also damaged overnight said he had asked for protection from the police but was turned down.

The officers told him there were "not enough patrol cars," he said on Friday.

Deputy of the Provincial Ombudsman in charge of ethnic minorities Eva Vukašinović said that Temaj had sent a written request after other bakeries were attacked, and that the she was "not satisfied" with the way the police responded.

According to Vukašinović, Temaj was also told that the incidents will be treated as property damage, while she believes the perpetrators should be prosecuted for endangering life and causing ethnic intolerance.

Temaj told reporters that this was not the first time his business was targeted by hooligans, but that he saw it as positive that Novi Sad residents offered their support.