[ALBSA-Info] Prisoners in Yugoslav jail riot

[Iris Pilika]

Prisoners in Yugoslav jail riot

Vojislav Kostunica is expected to pardon some political prisoners
November 6, 2000
Web posted at: 1528 GMT


BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- More than 1,000 inmates have rioted, setting fire to 
prison records, over conditions in one of Yugoslavia's largest jails.

The riots, which have left four prisoners injured, have also been blamed on 
news that prisoners could receive an amnesty from the new government.

The riot has prompted authorities to negotiate with the prisoners and police 
to send in reinforcements, a prison official said.

It erupted in the prison near Sremska Mitrovica, 75 kilometres (50 miles) 
northwest of the capital, Belgrade, the official said.

Prison authorities and representatives of Serbia's Justice Ministry were 
engaged in talks with the inmates on Monday and police were guarding the 
prison entrance.

About 100 inmates were positioned on the roof of one of the prison 
buildings, local reporters said.

The unrest began at one of the prison's three buildings, spreading after 
midnight on Sunday to the second and third building, where about 130 Kosovo 
Albanian prisoners are held, the state Tanjug news agency reported.

The entire prison houses 1,300 inmates, including about 50 foreign nationals 
and six prisoners on death row.

The Mayor of Sremska Mitrovica, Zoran Boskovic, was quoted by the Beta news 
agency as saying the prisoners were "demanding better conditions inside the 
jail and something to do with the amnesty law" planned by Yugoslavia's new 
president, Vojislav Kostunica.

No details have been announced about the law, which would affect political 
prisoners, most of them Kosovo Albanians.

Unconfirmed reports said that the prisoners had set fire to the printing 
press and the carpentry workshop, as well as a file cabinet containing 
inmate records.

Firemen were reportedly denied entrance but attempted to extinguish the 
flames from the outside. Smoke was seen rising from within the prison 
compound on Monday.

No shooting had occurred inside the prison and prison guards had withdrawn 
from the immediate vicinity of the inmates, only manning watchtowers inside 
the prison, said Tanjug.

Beta reported that some three or four inmates were injured but did not 
specify how badly. Tanjug said four inmates were taken to the nearby 
hospital for treatment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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