Serbia said today it had invited top European rights organisations to inspect those detained over the murder of prime minister Zoran Djindjic, indicating trials could begin next month.
Interior minister Dusan Mihajlovic said a total of 2,114 suspects were still held out of more than 8,000 questioned since the March 12th assassination, allegedly by former paramilitaries with links to organised crime. He said 834 would be prosecuted.
The government said in a statement the interior ministry "has been leading a determined fight against organized crime in Serbia."
It had invited representatives of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Union Commission to "visit prisons and satisfy themselves that our fight against organized crime has been conducted legally."
On Monday, the US-based Human Rights Watch appealed to Serbia to open its prisons to outside observers, as well as to facilitate detainees' contacts with lawyers and families.
But justice minister Mr Vladan Batic said there had been no "measures of force or acts against international standards. All humanitarian standards regarding those imprisoned or detained have been fully respected."
Under the current state of emergency, Serbian police can arrest and hold for up to 30 days, without access to a lawyer, family or a judge, anyone who "endangers the security of other citizens of the Republic."
Djindjic's assassination is seen by the police as a bid to restore power to supporters of former Yugolsav president Slobodan Milosevic. The main suspect, former special police commander Milorad Lukovic, is still at large.