The Split Court of Petty Offences has acquitted Marko Skej and twelve other members of the HOS of charges relating to disturbing the public order, with N1 reporting, citing the Dalmatian portal. The pair were accused of shouting the 'Za dom spremni' salute during the 2022 Victory Day commemoration.
The prosecution was brought by the Knin Police Station under Article 5 of the Act on Offences against Public Order and Peace. The ruling was based on the premise that 'Za dom spremni' was the official motto of the Ustaše movement and the NDH regime. As a totalitarian symbol, it was deemed contrary to the Constitution and prohibited in public spaces.
The judgment, however, refers to the recommendations of the Council for Dealing with the Consequences of the Rule of Non-Democratic Regimes, which stipulate that there are exceptions to the general ban. The salute in question is part of the official emblem of the HOS. Therefore, its public use is permitted at events where tribute is paid to fallen warriors who fought under that insignia.
The court relied on a ruling by the High Court of Petty Offences from March 2025. In that case, a similar acquittal was confirmed for Skej, the commander of the 9th Battalion of the HOS. 'Taking into account all the circumstances of the event, the court considers that this event falls under the exception regarding the public use of the salute for the Homeland,' the judge stated in the reasoning.
Those present at the announcement of the verdict included Mićo Ćuk and Renato Hittel, while Skej did not attend. 'We expected this. This was the only possible outcome. We hope that we will no longer be reported after every commemoration in Knin,' said Ćuk. He called on the Minister of Veterans to support the use of the salute in exceptional circumstances.
Hittel stated that the previous convictions had been handed down 'under certain political pressure' and expressed hope that such proceedings would not occur in the future.
