Serbia court acquits suspects in 2008 torching of US embassy

BELGRADE, Serbia – A Serbian appeals court has acquitted the suspects in the 2008 rioting and torching of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade after a rally against Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

The Appeals Court of Belgrade said Wednesday it has overturned suspended prison sentences for four suspects and confirmed an earlier acquittal of three more people by a lower court. The court says prosecutors have failed to provide enough evidence to back the indictment.

One person died when the American and other Western embassies were attacked by groups of nationalists and soccer hooligans angry over what they perceived as Western support for Kosovo’s statehood. Kosovo declared independence in Feb. 2008 which Belgrade still does not recognize.

The embassy incident has burdened relations between Washington and Belgrade for years.