Washington, 11 December 1996 (RFE/RL) - U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher has sent a letter to Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic warning him against further violence against the demonstrators.
U.S. State Department spokesman Glyn Davies said "it was a very strong letter."
He said Christopher also urged Milosevic to take immediate steps to respect the will of the Serbian people and begin a dialogue with the opposition bloc.
The letter was delivered to Milosevic yesterday morning by U.S. charge d'affaires in Belgrade Richard Miles.
Davies was commenting on the case of Dejan Bulatovic, a student who required medical treatment after being arrested by authorities during a demonstration. He was reported to be severely beaten while in police custody. Serb authorities have denied responsibility.
Davies said the United States continues to monitor his case.