Serbia advised citizens not to travel to Zagreb due to Thompson's concert

(Patria) - Official Belgrade warned of security risks for Serbs, while Zagreb authorities reciprocated with a recommendation not to travel to Serbia due to the detention and expulsion of Croatian citizens

Citizens of Serbia are advised not to travel to Zagreb until Sunday, July 6, due to the concert of Marko Perković Thompson, which is being held tonight at the Zagreb Hippodrome, the diplomatic-consular representation of Serbia in Croatia announced.

"Given the expected around 500,000 visitors, staying in Zagreb during that period may be a security risk for citizens of Serbia," the statement, reported by Radio Television of Serbia, said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that it is a "concert in support of neo-Nazi and Ustaše values".

Marko Perković Thompson has been banned from performing in several countries due to his expressed sympathy for the Ustaše regime from World War II, while Ustaše symbols are often seen at his concerts, and some songs begin with fascist greetings.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs previously called on Croatian citizens on July 3 to avoid traveling to Serbia, citing "inappropriate and unfounded actions by Serbian authorities towards Croatian citizens", including their detention at the border, return, and expulsion.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Serbia caused by the deaths of 16 people in an accident in Novi Sad, authorities in Belgrade have been expelling artists and citizens from neighboring countries who publicly supported the demonstrators.

According to data from the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade, in the first three and a half months of 2025, 12 Croatian citizens received expulsion orders. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković previously stated that a total of 16 Croatian citizens were expelled, while others were denied entry into the country.

Director Danilo Marunović was expelled from Serbia on June 27, after being questioned by the Serbian BIA. According to him, the reason was a column in which he spoke about the situation in the region.

A similar fate befell Montenegrin opposition MP Ivan Vuković, who was detained in March after expressing support for student protests in Serbia on social media.

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, Jovana Marović, was banned from entering Serbia in 2023 due to "endangering the security of the Republic of Serbia", and several Montenegrin MPs faced unpleasantness at the border due to their support for the Srebrenica Resolution.

Aleksandar Vulin, then the former head of the BIA, revealed in early 2024 that there is a list of public figures from Bosnia and Herzegovina who are banned from entering Serbia. Among them is singer Selma Bajrami, who was denied entry because she showed the Albanian double-headed eagle symbol at a performance.

Actor Feđa Štukan has been denied entry to Serbia multiple times, most recently in June 2024, despite being invited to perform at the KROKODIL festival. Activist Nedim Musić was also turned back at the border with the explanation that he represents a "security risk".

In the same period, among those expelled from Serbia was the head of the representative office of the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

Famous Croatian singer Severina Vučković was stopped at the border on August 25, 2024, and questioned about Srebrenica, "Oluja" (Storm), and support for environmental protests.

German pianist of Italian origin Davide Martelo was expelled from Serbia after playing in front of the Rectorate in Niš on April 5, 2025, in support of students.

Martelo is already known for participating in protests across Europe, and this time he was identified as a threat due to his public performance in support of the opposition in Serbia.