Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader asked his interior ministry Wednesday to investigate any possible abuse of police authority after a number of Facebook Web activists were detained.

ZAGREB - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader asked his interior ministry Wednesday to investigate any possible abuse of police authority after a number of Web activists were detained.

In the last few days officers have held and questioned several Internet activists who were criticizing or ridiculing the government, local media reported.

"No one in Croatia can be detained or arrested because of a different opinion or because of a protest against my or any other political view. My main task as a prime minister is to defend that right," Sanader said in a statement.

This week, according to the local media, police had questioned organizers of a group on Facebook, the online social networking site, which called an anti-government rally in several towns, including the capital Zagreb, for December 5. The group has more than 80,000 members.

Last Friday police questioned a member of the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, after he launched a group called "I bet I can find 5,000 Facebookers who dislike Sanader." Police said it had acted because he posted a photo montage portrait of Sanader in a Nazi uniform.

An editorial in a local daily this week, entitled "Stop Facebook," said the authorities were acting in a manner similar to Yugoslav communists, who distrusted the media and wanted to control them.

Sanader said he wanted a report from the Interior Minister, Tomislav Karamarko, on those cases.

"I asked for a report on police actions and I want appropriate sanctions if police did not respect regulations," his statement said.