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Vandalized Bakeries: Deputy Ombudsman on Site

17102014 003Eva Vukаšinоvić, Deputy Ombudsman for National Minority Rights Protection, talked to Mr. Temaj Bajrami, the owner of the Evropa bakery vandalized in the night between Thursday and Friday. This bakery was one of the tens of similar targets all over Vojvodina attacked over the last couple of days. The vandalism happened in the aftermath of the last week's incidents happening during the football match between Serbia and Albania. Most of the owners of these bakeries have ethnic Albanian or Gorani names.

Talking to Temaj Bajrami, the Deputy Ombudsman learnt that he had been threatened over the two previous days and that he, concerned about the safety of his employees in the bakery, addressed the Novi Sad Police on 16 October. He asked them to provide security to his bakery in Cara Lazara Street over the next couple of days, but he was refused with an explanation that there are not enough available police officers to do it.

According to Eva Vukašinоvić, the attacks happening in several towns in Vojvodina over the last two days cannot be qualified as damaging property, but as criminal offences jeopardizing the lives of people and provoking inter-ethnic intolerance. She expressed her hopes that the perpetrators of these acts will soon be identified and sanctioned.