The Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights in Osijek, the Anti-Fascist League of the Republic of Croatia, and the Documenta Centre for Dealing with the Past have filed official complaints with the relevant authorities on 7 August 2026. The complaints were submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, the State Attorney’s Office, and the Ombudsperson, based on suspicions of criminal offences of incitement to violence and hate.
The basis for the proceedings is public video footage recorded in Knin on 5 August 2026, during the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the Operation Storm. The footage indicates that during the march, a segment of participants directed messages against the Serbian minority, which is alleged to violate the constitutional order.
A specific part of the complaint concerns the use of symbols and salutes associated in the public sphere with the Independent State of Croatia. Individuals were identified in the crowd, including members of the Torcida fan group and certain veterans. The shouts heard in the recordings directly incite violence, representing a serious breach of fundamental democratic principles.
The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia explicitly rejects the legacy of the Independent State of Croatia, defining it as a fascist regime. At the same time, the Constitution affirms anti-fascism as one of the fundamental values of the state, lending further weight to the allegations that constitutional values were violated by these actions during the public commemoration.
