Pančevo, June 15, 2010. - The Pančevo prosecution has filed a request to investigate five residents of a village who participated in attacks against Roma in the community.

The unrest in the village of Jabuka, close to the town of Pančevo, north of Belgrade, broke out after a Roma teenager was detained on suspicion that he stabbed another boy to death.

Now the entire Roma community is held hostage by the daily protests that have included the stoning of their homes.

The prosecution has named five people in their request, saying they are suspected of promoting ethnic, racial and religious hatred and intolerance with serious consequences.

Along with several hundred other villagers, they walked down the streets of the village in which Roma live, and chanted threats while throwing stones at the homes, the prosecution said.

“All this resulted in serious disorder in the village, which is why several dozen police officers had to offer protection to the Roma, and several Roma families are afraid to leave their homes,” said the statement.

The prosecution proposed that the suspects be remanded into custody for a period of 30 days so that they would not be able to influence potential witnesses in the investigation.

The statement was a response to the protesters in the village calling for the suspects to be released so that the situation would calm down in the village.

The local administration is sending food and medical help to Roma who are afraid to leave their homes.

Source: B92