Monuments glorifying Serbian aggression to be removed under new law

Hina - The government sent a new Cemeteries Bill to parliamentary procedure on Thursday, which envisages the removal of monuments erected after 30 May 1990 that glorify Serbian aggression against Croatia, such as the Vukašin Šoškočanin mausoleum in Borovo Selo.

"We are introducing a new law after 27 years, as the first and only Cemeteries Act is no longer suitable for the present time," Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Minister Branko Bačić said at a cabinet session.

"One of the reasons that prompted us to adopt a new law is the fact that after the occupation of parts of Croatia during the Homeland War, certain graves remained with monuments and plaques bearing inappropriate inscriptions contrary to the constitutional and legal order," he added.

Therefore, the bill provides for the removal of monuments that offend religious, moral or national sentiments and glorify the aggressor army in the Homeland War, within 30 days of the law's entry into force.

The bill stipulates that only monuments erected after 30 May 1990 may be considered contentious, to prevent broader historical revisionism and further societal divisions. Any individual may report controversial tombstones, and commissions at the county level would be introduced to assess their appropriateness if necessary.

If the user of a burial site fails to remove the monument within the legal timeframe, third parties would carry out the removal. If the grave owner does not remove the monument, they face a fine ranging from €1,000 to €5,000.

For the first time, the law will also regulate the status of memorial cemeteries for fallen defenders, which will be managed by the Veterans Ministry.

News