Solana 'obits' posted

2008-09-28 18:58

Belgrade - Serbian police on Sunday arrested four people suspected of putting up posters in central Belgrade with mock obituaries for the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

As Nato Secretary-General in 1999, Solana ordered the bombing of Serbia to halt the killing of Albanians in a counter-insurgency campaign in the then Serbian province of Kosovo.

The Belgrade government does not recognise Kosovo's declaration of independence last February but is now seeking EU membership.

A police statement said two of the arrested people were in possession of about 100 posters containing "insulting content".

According to media reports, the obituaries read: "Our dear Javier Solana finally passed away on September 28 in the 66th year of his criminal life."

They also listed as "the bereaved" parties of the ruling coalition, the EU, Nato, and supporters of Serbia's EU bid.

The pro-Western coalition of Democrats, liberals and the Socialists of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic took office in July and declared Serbia's EU accession a priority, but said that Serbia would never give up Kosovo for EU membership.

- Reuters