OHR, UNHCR, OSCE, and EUPM strongly condemn the assault on the Head of the Housing Office in Zvornik, Republika Srpska, that occurred yesterday morning. According to the information available at this time, the Housing Office Head was stabbed by a displaced person who was to be evicted in accordance with law that day from a home he had been occupying. The Head of the Housing Office was immediately taken to the hospital in Zvornik with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect has been arrested and transferred to the prison in Bijeljina. The international community calls on the competent authorities to carry out a full investigation of this incident and ensure appropriate prosecution. The property law implementation process must continue and threats, violence or similar behaviour against housing officials or their family members will be persued rigorously by the competent authorities and will result in criminal charges.
03/26/2003