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Serbia police restore order in prisons

BELGRADE, Serbia, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Special police Friday restored order at Serbia's two major prisons where rioting left 55 inmates injured, police said.

Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic told reporters the situation was back to normal in the Nis prison, in central Serbia, and in the Pozarevac prison, east of Belgrade. Riot police broke into the two facilities to stop protests amid reports inmates might intensify their revolt, Serbia's B92 Belgrade radio reported.

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No police officers were injured in the action, a police statement said. In the Nis prison 40 inmates were hurt and in the Pozarevac prison 15 inmates suffered injuries, the statement said.

On Nov. 15, nearly 40,000 inmates in Serbia's four major prisons began protesting, including a hunger strike, demanding the authorities pass an amnesty freeing inmates older than 70.

Stojkovic said he would ask that jail terms are reduced by one-third, except for prisoners sentenced for serious crimes, such as war crimes, sexual offenses and multiple killings.

On Thursday in the Pozarevac prison, about 150 inmates locked themselves in their cells to dramatize their protest.

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