BELGRADE, December 7. /TASS/. Bosnia’s police have prevented an assassination attempt on world-acclaimed Serbian filmmaker Emir Kustirica, the Serbian newspaper Alo! said on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, the attempt was plotted by the Avengers, a Bosnian Serb paramilitary group. Several days ago, fifteen members of this organization were arrested in Bosnia-Herzegovina over involvement in war crimes of the early 1990s.

The newspaper said citing a source close to the investigation that the police had learnt about the attempt on the filmmaker from wiretapping of telephone conversation of the Avengers members. One of the reasons behind their hostility towards Kusturica was said to be his close relations with Milorad Dodik, the President of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kusturica refused to comment on this information, the newspaper said.

Emir Kusturica is a Serbian fim director, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and winner of two Palmes D'or at Cannes Film Festival.