CATHEDRAL, BUILDINGS AND LOCAL SCENES OF ZADAR INCLUDING UNIVERSITY AND COURT OF JUSTICE.




Initials GHB/V/JH/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: YUGOSLAV WRITER MIHAILO MIHAJLOV WAS ARRESTED IN THE CENTRAL ADRIATIC PORT OF ZADAR YESTERDAY (MONDAY) - ONLY TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS PLANNED MEETING TO PUBLISH AN INDEPENDENT SOCIALIST MAGAZINE. REPORTS FROM THE WRITER'S FRIENDS INDICATED THAT THEY HOPED TO CARRY ON WITH MEETING. THEY REQUESTED POLICE APPROVAL FOR THE MEETING TO CONTINUE AND A DECISION WAS SCHEDULED TO BE GIVEN AT 11 A.M. TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY).

MIHAJLOV, 32, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER REPORTING TO A DISTRICT COURT AT MIDDAY. IT WAS SAID HE WOULD BE DETAINED FOR THREE DAYS. INVESTIGATING MAGISTRATE ANTE GRABUSIC WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT MIHAJLOV WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR "A RENEWAL OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES", THOUGH HE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED OF ANYTHING. LAST YEAR MIHAJLOV RECEIVED A FIVE-MONTH SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR WRITING ARTICLES ON SOVIET CONCENTRATION CAMPS. HIS ARTICLES WERE ALLEGED TO BE OFFENSIVE TO THE SOVIET UNION.

MIHAJLOV PLANNED TO HOLD THE MEETING TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO FOUND HIS MAGAZINE AS A NUCLEUS FOR A LEGALLY CONSTITUTED DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST PARTY, IN DEFIANCE OF THE TITO REGIME. HIS FRIENDS MET TODAY IN HIS FLAT TO DISCUSS PLANS, AND WERE ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A POLICE SPOKESMAN THAT MIHAJLOV HAD BEEN ARRESTED - "FOR HIS OWN SAFETY - FOR HIS HOSTILE WRITINGS AND BECAUSE HE PLANNED TO CONVENE A HOSTILE ASSEMBLY".

THE YOUNG WRITER WAS BORN OF WHITE RUSSIAN PARENTS AND AFTER A SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION WENT ON TO STUDY LITERATURE AT BELGRADE AND ZAGREB UNIVERSITIES. AFTER GRADUATION HE WORKED FOR SOME TIME IN TELEVISION, AND IN 1963 BECAME ASSISTANT LECTURER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZADAR. AFTER HIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN 1965 HE WAS MORALLY UNSTABLE. HE WAS ARRESTED IN MARCH 1965 AND SENTENCED TO NINE MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR DAMAGING THE REPUTATION OF THE SOVIET UNION. BUT HE NEVER WENT TO PRISON, AS THE SUPREME COURT CUT THE SENTENCE TO FIVE MONTHS AND SUSPENDED IT FOR TWO YEARS.