Interior Minister Davor Božinović stated on Tuesday that the police act against suspects of criminal offences, not against fan groups or clubs. He emphasised that the police act against individuals whom the police, the state prosecution and the investigating judge consider to be suspects of committing a criminal offence.
Božinović made these remarks in response to a journalist's question about alleged fan training conducted by individuals with military experience. He said he had no knowledge that people with military experience were training fans on how to behave and move in groups, and that the police had no such knowledge either. "There is also a presumption of innocence for them. But this is not any kind of action against a club or its fans, but simply the enforcement of the law," Božinović said. He added that similar proceedings against certain individuals had been conducted previously.
He warned that the current events should not be turned into "fame that it is some kind of conspiracy". He assessed that the police carry out their work effectively, professionally and in accordance with the law.
In response to questions about the statement by the president of the Homeland Movement (Domovinski pokret), Ivan Penava, Božinović said he did not know what prompted Penava to mention leaving the government in a statement to journalists. "The coalition is functioning, I do not know what prompted Mr Penava, you need to ask him," Božinović said. Penava had previously said that his party would withdraw from the Government "when it decides to do so, and that will, if it happens, be on topics that hinder processes, for example the uncovering of communist crimes". "That will happen if the establishment of a memorial area and a public institution dedicated to all the victims that the communists killed in 1945 does not happen," Penava said.
Božinović reminded that coalition members meet regularly and discuss all current issues. "Mr Penava is sometimes at those meetings, sometimes he is not," he added. He said that Penava would have received an answer if he had raised the question at a coalition meeting. "But he has come out to the public and now he is getting a public answer. I think these are things that can certainly be communicated in a way that everyone understands what is being done and why it is being done," Božinović said.
He added that there is discussion about confronting communist crimes. "Ultimately, there is the government and the deputy prime minister (Tomo) Medved in communication with the Homeland Movement," Božinović said. He made all these statements in response to journalists' questions in Hrvatska Kostajnica, where he was visiting the state border.
