Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that he required suspension of the policemen who are ill-treating a young Roma detainee in a controversial YouTube video.

“After I saw that video, I issued an order to the police administration that the policemen be suspended, whatever the prosecutor's office response may be in this case,” Dacic told journalists in Krusevac (central Serbia).

The video showing a policeman battering a Roma detainee at the police station, was uploaded for the second time on the video sharing website YouTube on June 25.

Dacic said that this incident took place at the police station in Vrsac (northeastern Serbia) on June 30, 2007.

The policemen associated with this incident are Aleksandar Adamov and Bojan Bisercic, and the Roma is Danijel Stojanovic, infamous for petty and grand larcenies. In 2007, Stojanovic was charged with a criminal offence.

During the investigation, all those involved in this incident denied any maltreatment, even Stojanovic himself who said that the policemen treated him well, the Interior Ministry released.

The police is conducting a review, which should shed light on the incident.