U.S. investigates death threats to Serb prosecutor

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The office of Serbia's war crimes prosecutor said on Saturday authorities in the United States were investigating several people suspected of sending him death threats.

Vladimir Vukcevic has received threatening letters and telephone calls for heading the team hunting Bosnian Serb wartime general Ratko Mladic, indicted for genocide by the United Nations tribunal in The Hague.

The letters have mostly come from U.S. cities with large Serb communities.

"We have been informed through the U.S. embassy in Belgrade that several individuals have been put under investigation for their involvement in death threats to prosecutor Vukcevic," said Bruno Vekaric, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

Vekaric did not confirm Belgrade media reports that three people had been arrested in the United States.

"Every time there is an intensive action to locate Mladic, threatening letters are sent," he said.

Vekaric said that the last threatening letter was received after a police sweep to locate Mladic on Thursday.

Threats have also been made against Serbia's point man for cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal Rasim Ljajic and pro-Western president Boris Tadic.

In April, authorities uncovered an assassination plot against Vukcevic.

The arrest of Mladic and Croatian Serb war time leader Goran Hadzic, indicted for crimes against humanity, are viewed as crucial to Serbia's aspiration to join the European Union.

Many Serbs see the Hague tribunal as biased against them and oppose the arrest of Mladic, whom they consider a hero.

(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; editing by Andrew Roche)