SERBIA: POLICE RALLY CONDEMNS "ARBITRARY INDICTMENT" AGAINST GENERAL LUKIC
Beta - October 24, 2003

Belgrade - Members of the Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) said in Belgrade today that the Hague tribunal's justice was selective and demanded a review of the indictment against Public Security Department head Sreten Lukic.

The rally in support of Lukic, indicted for war crimes in Kosovo in 1999, at Belgrade's Republic Square attracted around 3,000 MUP members. Col Zoran Misic said that police officers in Kosovo had carried out their duties honourably and professionally.

He said that the police were protecting the civilian population from the Albanian terrorists who were "terrorizing (people) before the international community's eyes".

Capt Aleksandar Vasiljevic stressed that Sreten Lukic had been "uncompromising towards those who violated the rules of service".

Police Academy student Nemanja Jevtovic said that the academy was angered by the injustice and arbitrary indictment against Lukic.

It was stressed at the start that this was not going to be a political rally, nor anyone's election campaign, but that the police officers had gathered exclusively as a sign of solidarity and support for their boss.

Vojvodina Social Democrats' leader Nenad Canak was the only politician whom journalists were able to see; they did not see Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic.

The leader of the rally said that police officers from all over Serbia had come to the rally, adding that they had done so voluntarily.

The rally, which started at 1600 (1400 gmt), is being secured by a number of armed police officers, but the participants are unarmed.

Traffic around Republic Square is normal.

Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1453 gmt 24 Oct 03

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