A Croatian veterans’ association has called on state institutions to introduce clear criteria and mandatory background checks for foreign performers before they are booked for public events in Croatia.
The Association of Croatian Veterans, known as UHB RH, said officials should examine the previous public statements and activities of foreign artists before allowing or supporting their performances.
The proposal specifically mentioned Serbian performers Miroslav Ilić, Lepa Brena and Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga.
Group Names Three Serbian Performers
According to the association, Croatian ministers should propose regulations covering artists and other foreign nationals who are considered to promote hatred, glorify criminals, support aggressive wartime policies or deny crimes committed in Croatia.
The group also referred to the legitimacy of Croatian military operations as one of the issues that authorities should consider when reviewing foreign performers.
UHB RH claimed that Ilić, Brena and Bajaga had encouraged hostility and aggression toward Croatia through their public activities. However, the association did not provide additional independent evidence supporting those claims in its statement.
The group also mentioned Dejan Medaković, identifying him as one of the authors of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts memorandum.
Association Says Proposal Is Not Censorship
The Croatian veterans’ association said its request was not intended to introduce censorship.
Instead, it described the proposal as an effort to hold event organizers and public institutions accountable for deciding who receives approval, funding and access to public stages in Croatia.
The group placed particular emphasis on the responsibilities of local and regional governments, tourism organizations and organizers of public events.
Under its proposal, those bodies would be expected to examine a foreign performer’s previous statements and public conduct before entering into an agreement.
No official ban on Miroslav Ilić, Lepa Brena or Bajaga has been announced. The proposal remains a request submitted by the veterans’ association to the relevant Croatian authorities.
