A total of 12 people have been arrested so far on suspicion that they participated in assaults on fans of Croatia's national handball team in Novi Sad and Ruma, Serbian Police Director Milorad Veljovic said on Wednesday afternoon, while the country's Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the Serbian police would address possible security risks at forthcoming matches of the European championships "in the most responsible manner".
Dacic said that measures were being taken to boost the safety and security of Croatian citizens attending matches within the 2012 EHF European Men's Handball Championship, which is being held in the Serbian cities of Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad and Vrsac on January 15–29.
The minister added that the investigation was under way to collect information on the latest incidents in which several Croatian fans were injured and dozens of their cars were damaged.
The assaults on the Croatians were condemned by Novi Sad Mayor Igor Pavlicic, the head of the Serbian parliamentary group on friendship with Croatia, Janko Veselinovic, and local organisations representing ethnic Croats in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.
