Croatia charges 5 with hate crimes on Serb bar

Croatian police charged five men with hate crimes Wednesday for last week's attack on Serbs watching a Red Star Belgrade match in a bar, an incident that heightened tensions between Belgrade and Zagreb. The five were charged for "hate-motivated violent behaviour, demolishing others' property and physically harming" victims," said the local prosecutor's office, state-run HINA agency reported.

If convicted, the five men charged could face up to five years in prison. Masked men injured five people on August 21 when they stormed a Serb-owned bar in a village outside Knin. Local police chief Ivica Kostanic told reporters the suspects had insulted the bar owner and his customers based on their ethnic identity as Serbs. Police had arrested eight people Wednesday.

"Then they attacked guests with batons, injuring five, including a minor," he added. The suspects belong to a football fan group in southern Split, said Kostanic. One of those charged is currently at large, while police are still looking for 10 other unidentified assailants, Kostanic added.

Croatia charges 5 with hate crimes on Serb bar

Croatian police charged five men with hate crimes Wednesday for last weeks attack on Serbs watching a Red Star Belgrade match in a bar, an incident that heightened tensions between Belgrade and Zagreb. The five were charged for hate-motivated violent behaviour, demolishing others property and physically harming victims, said the local prosecutors office, state-run HINA agency reported. If convicted, the five men charged could face up to five years in prison. Masked men injured five people on August 21 when they stormed a Serb-owned bar in a village outside Knin. Local police chief Ivica Kostanic told reporters the suspects had insulted the bar owner and his customers based on their ethnic identity as Serbs. Police had arrested eight people Wednesday. Then they attacked guests with batons, injuring five, including a minor, he added. The suspects belong to a football fan group in southern Split, said Kostanic. One of those charged is currently at large, while police are still looking for 10 other unidentified assailants, Kostanic added.