ZAGREB, May 29, 2018 – MP Hrvoje Zekanović of the far-right HRAST party told a news conference in parliament on Tuesday that he was dissatisfied with the conduct of the Austrian police which detained Croatian pilgrims for several hours at the border while they attempted to attend a commemorative event in Bleiburg and the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry for not caring about several Croats detained in Klagenfurt.
Zekanović described border controls as “degrading” saying that “people had waited for several hours just to enter Austria.” “I would dare to say that the European Union has open borders, namely the Schengen Area does exist when this suits our friends from the West, but the minute it no longer suits them, the borders will be closed,” Zekanović said, adding that this was unacceptable.
He said that seven Croatian citizens had been in jail in Klagenfurt for the past 17 days, accused of displaying symbols of the WWII regime, and asked if the Croatian Foreign Ministry was concerned about them and their current status at all.
Regardless of possible misdemeanour or criminal acts they may have committed, the state has to look out for its citizens, adding that according to his information, there has not been any communication established with the detainees.
Zekanović said they were scheduled to appear in court, but their detention had been extended by another month.
