ZAGREB, August 10, 2019 – The Štajerska Guard, known as an anti-migrant paramilitary group in Slovenia led by a far-right politician, Andrej Šiško, has set up a camp near the town of Podčetrtak some 20 kilometres of the Slovenia-Croatia border, the Zagreb-based Jutarnji List daily reported on Saturday.
The photographs of about 30 uniformed men, some of whom are masked, and of tents and weapons’ replicas, which were published by the Ljubljana-based Delo newspaper, have caused alarm among Slovenian politicians and in the local society.
The Croatian newspaper carries a statement of a Slovenian police official who has said that forming such camps is unacceptable. On the other hand, the Slovenian Prime Minister Marijan Šarec has reassured the public by saying that Slovenia is a safe country.
Šiško was quoted as saying that this was not a paramilitary unit, insisting that those men are just camping and exercising in the rural area of Kozja outside the town of Podčetrtak.
The camp has been organised on private grounds and the local police authorities have granted Šiško’s request to hold a gathering there.
The Štajerska Guard, which was registered as an organisation in 2017, is believed to have over 100 members.
Upon the establishment of the guard Šiško said that he would not allow the German scenario to happen in Slovenia, alluding to the influx of immigrants.
The Croatia daily says that upon such statements and the organisation of the guard Šiško had been sentenced to eight months and had served six after which he was released.
More news about relations between Croatia and Slovenia can be found in the Politics section.
