Nearly all attacks against bakeries solved, 11 detained

BELGRADE - Serbian police have solved nearly all attacks against bakeries owned by ethnic Albanians and Gorani that took place in the Vojvodina province in the past few days, detaining 11 suspects, says Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic.

"Over the past two or three days, 62 people have been questioned in connection with the incidents, which occurred primarily in the territory of Vojvodina, and 11 people have been detained," Stefanovic told Pink late Monday, speaking about last week's incidents in the wake of the Serbia vs Albania soccer match, suspended due to a pitch disturbance caused by a flag of Greater Albania flown over the stadium in Belgrade, in front of a crowd that consisted only of Serbian supporters pursuant to an earlier UEFA decision.

The police have solved the most recent incident, in which a Novi Sad bakery was damaged in the night between Sunday and Monday, and the perpetrator has been identified as L.P., a 21-year-old ethnic Hungarian.

Eighteen-year-old P.A. is suspected in the attack against bakeries in Becej, 19-year-old T.N. is suspected in the attack that targeted a bakery in Sombor, while 18-year-old D.S. and 24-year-old D.N. are suspected of having damaged two bakeries in Banovci - all these suspects are of Serb ethnicity, and polygraph examinations are underway over an attack in which two Stara Pazova bakeries were damaged, Stefanovic said.

The minister said that he believes that the state has thus sent a clear message.

We must be more responsible and demonstrate that this is a country that is safe for all citizens regardless of their ethnicity, Stefanovic said.

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