Glorifying war criminals as a political tool: Dangerous messages from Croatia towards BiH

(Patria) - The upcoming presidential elections in the Republic of Croatia, a member state of the European Union, are bringing worrying trends, writes the portal Negatori genocida.

Although it would be expected that the pre-election campaign in a democratic country would focus on economic development, social issues, and European integration, in reality, the narrative of glorifying war criminals is once again being used as a means to win voters, especially those with dual citizenship in BiH.

This problem transcends the borders of Croatia and deeply affects the internal affairs of BiH, offending victims of war crimes and undermining relations between the two countries.

A recent example is the support of the Most party candidate and mayor of Sinj, Miro Bulj, for the convicted war criminal Slobodan Praljak.

His post, accompanied by symbols of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosnia (HRHB) and a photograph of Praljak, caused sharp reactions.

Grow up son, one day you will know, just grow up, you will live to see it! HRHB ❤️

Slobodan Praljak, 1945-2017 🙏 pic.twitter.com/rE0T3hIQgo

— Miro Bulj (@MiroBulj) November 29, 2024

Praljak, convicted of crimes against humanity during the war in BiH, is responsible for the persecution, torture, and ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks as part of a joint criminal enterprise.

His suicide in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) remained a symbol of defiance against justice, but also a warning about the gravity of his actions.

Imagine a similar scenario where a politician from Austria glorifies Nazi criminals – such an act would be unthinkable and immediately condemned.

However, in the Balkan countries, the glorification of war criminals is unfortunately often normalized, and judicial bodies such as the BiH Prosecutor's Office remain silent.

Such behavior raises legitimate questions about Croatia's true commitment to European values.

How is it possible for politicians in an EU member state to publicly glorify convicted war criminals without serious consequences?

Furthermore, it creates deep wounds among the victims and introduces additional tensions into the already complex relations between BiH and Croatia.

Glorifying criminals is not, and cannot be, part of the European path. If the EU truly remains silent on such phenomena, victims and citizens can rightly ask if the EU has turned its back on justice, allowing neo-fascist tendencies.

Urgent action is needed to stop the further degradation of the moral and legal principles that Europe symbolizes.