Croatia: Police ban international ultra rightists’ gathering
last update: April 12, 16:13
Zagreb, 12 April (AKI) - Croatian police on Thursday banned an international gathering of “ultra-right” political parties, planned for Friday and Saturday in Zagreb, saying it was a threat to public order and could provoke violence.
The gathering was organized by ultra-right Croatian Pure Rights Party (HCSP), but triggered protests by human rights and anti-fascist organizations and center-left government officials.
“We won’t allow the gathering of those who call for violation of constitutional order and snatching a part of Croatian territory,” said prime minister Zoran Milanovic. “Such people can come to Croatia as tourists, but not as political opponents,” he added.
HCSP has invited many European right wing political parties for a conference in Zagreb and an outdoor protest against verdicts by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
The tribunal sentenced a year ago two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac to 24 and 18 years in jail respectively, for crimes against Serb civilians during military operation “Storm” in August 1995.
Though the list of foreign attendants wasn’t made public, Milanovic said they were united in “international solidarity” by hatred against minorities, Jews and Roma. “I can only say that it won’t be allowed on the Croatian territory,” Milanovic concluded.
HCSP president Josip Miljak told media he would respect the ban, but vowed to sue the “bolshevik” government to the European court for human rights in Strasbourg. The ban was “final defeat of democracy in Croatia”, he said.
The government “still hasn’t banned the arrival of tourists to Zagreb”, Miljak said, vowing his followers and guests would “gather as tourists and make a stroll through Zagreb”.
Croatia will become a member of the European Union next year, but Brussels has warned Zagreb it must improve its human rights record and is carefully scrutinizing its moves.
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