ZAGREB, December 30, 2019 – The Veterans’ Affairs Ministry on Monday issued a statement in which it said that President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s husband Jakov has been given the status of war veteran as an employee of the Defence Ministry (MORH) from 1994 to 1996, however, he has not exercised his right to use any benefit he is entitled to by law.
The ministry was replying to media enquiries following a statement by Grabar-Kitarović for the N1 television station when she said that her husband was offered veteran status because during the war, he had worked for the Defence Ministry but that he had rejected that offer.
After the Croatian Peasants’ Party (HSS) called out Grabar-Kitarović to name who had offered her husband veteran status, the Veterans’ Affairs Ministry stated that Jakov was given that status as an employee of the Defence Ministry and member of the non-combat sector in the period from 1994 to 1996.
The ministry underlined that Kitarović did not use any benefits he was entitled to by the relevant legislation.
The ministry added that as an employee of the Defence Ministry, Kitarović was entitled to the status of a veteran based on the then valid regulation notably, in 1999 employees at the ministry and in the armed forces during the Homeland War became eligible for veteran status.
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