Posters Threaten Serb President In Vienna

Belgrade Placards featuring threats against Serbia's President Boris Tadic have appeared in the Austrian capital.

Belgrade's B92 network quoted a representative of the Serbian embassy in Vienna who said the placards read, "Death to the traitors of Serbia," "Death to the fascist-psychopath" and "Ustasha bastard" in reference to the regime led by Croatian fascists during the Second World War.

The representative said the placards had been removed.

Nazi swastikas were also sprayed on movie posters plastered near a stadium in the Austrian capital where the 2008 European Championships are being played.

Serbia's national team did not qualify for the Championships but some 150,000 Serbs live in Vienna and over 300,000 across Austria.

The Embassy Secretary Goran Bradic told B92 the embassy would officially demand an investigation by the Austrian Interior Ministry.

He added that the embassy had also contacted Serbian police.

Apart from Tadic, the threatening placards mentioned other officials from his Democratic Party.

Serbian Democrats were branded traitors on posters plastered across Belgrade last month after they signed a key European Union pre-membership deal contested by nationalist politicians.

June 17, 2008