International law

War crimes defendant Goran Hadzic arrived in the Serbian capital after being temporarily released by the UN court in The Hague for cancer treatment.

HRW accuses Serbian police of mistreating migrants

BELGRADE -- The police in Serbia "mistreat and insult migrants and asylum seekers," Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

They were also denied protection and thrown out of the country, the NGO added and urged authorities in Belgrade to "conduct an investigation and brings those responsible to justice."

The UN-backed war crimes court in The Hague has granted Croatian Serb wartime leader Goran Hadzic, who has cancer, immediate temporary release for treatment in Serbia.

The government on Thursday submitted to Parliament an amendment to be tagged onto the bill foreseeing the scrapping of maximum-security prisons that would allow inmates? partners or relatives who are deemed to be suspects to be held under house arrest rather than in custody.

Chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi said Wednesday that former President Traian Basescu is neither a suspect, nor a defendant in any case built by DNA.

Photo credit (c) SILVIU MATEI / AGERPRES PHOTO

BELGRADE - The Department for War Crimes of the High Court in Belgrade acquitted Monday former member of the Tenja Territorial Defense Force Zarko Cubrilo of the murder of 11 Croat civilians in Tenja, eastern Croatia, in the summer of 1991.

The prosecution has the right to appeal this decision to the Appellate Court in Belgrade.

Bulgaria's government has proposed to amend the Criminal Code to provide adequate legal response to the threat of terrorism.

The amendments, to be submitted to Parliament for approval, will close gaps in Bulgarian criminal law that potential terrorists could use to escape justice.

"It would be best if Seselj surrendered"

BELGRADE -- Rasim Ljajic says that when it comes to Vojislav Seselj, he government "will make the best decision with the aim of preserving the overall stability."

Ljajic, a cabinet minister who serves as president of the Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, also suggested that "it would be best for Seselj to surrender."

The number of asylum applicants in Bulgaria increased by 55% on an annual basis in 2014, according to Eurostat data.

The number of applicants in Bulgaria increased from 7 145 in 2013 to 11 080 in 2014, according to the statistical office of the European Union.

Bulgaria's share of asylum seekers amounted to less than 2% of the EU total.

BELGRADE - A freeze will be imposed on assets of those whose names appear on the blacklist of terrorists, their financiers and associates, as stipulated by the law limiting the asset management in an effort to combat terrorism, which the Serbian parliament passed on Friday.