Yugoslav authorities reject British plea over detainees

Rade Drobac, who is Belgrade's chief diplomatic representative in London, told the BBC on 18 August that the Yugoslav courts will not allow themselves to be rushed in dealing with the cases of two Britons and two Canadians recently arrested while on vacation in Montenegro (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 August 2000). Drobac thereby indirectly rejected demands by the Foreign Office that the Yugoslav authorities either charge the four or release them. Drobac said: "It is a simple case in which [the men] were found without papers. They were found with detonators and wires for explosives. I believe that everyone with a lot of sense will understand that something is essentially wrong." The detonation equipment was in the car of one of the Canadians, who is a construction contractor. In Belgrade, British diplomat Robert Gordon told reporters that he hopes nonetheless that "something happens and that [the men] are released soon." He did not elaborate, AP reported. PM
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