Croatian minister denies wearing fascist uniform hat

Croatian minister denies wearing fascist uniform hat

The Ustasha regime was in power in the Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia (NDH). This entity, that existed between 1941 and 1945, was responsible for operating death camps for Serbs, Jews, and Roma.

"The photograph was published in the weekly Nedeljnik, the publication of the Serb National Council, and even a layperson can see there had been subsequent intervention on it," Zagreb-based daily Jutarnji List has quoted Hasanbegovic as saying, and adding:

"This is yet another in a series of hoaxes and provocations by which they wish to discredit me as a human being and morally, and liquidate me politically."

Hasanbegovic, whose sacking was recently urged by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, went on to say that the controversial photograph was made in the town of Split "in 1993, and not in 1996" during "a manifestation of the 9th Battalion of the HOS (early 1990's formation "Croatian Defense Forces") a part of the 4th Guard Brigade of the Croatian Army."

"In the photo, I recognized two members of that unit and parts of their official clothing. I will remind you that the city of Split and Mayor Baldasir recently unveiled a monument dedicated to the members of this unit who died. Everything else is about insinuations that I have no intention of commenting on," Hasanbegovic said, adding he was "sorry that this is taking on the hallmarks of madness."

"It was clear to me at first glance that somebody made interventions on the photograph. I remember the event, but I see the photograph for the first time," he said.

When asked to comment on the photograph and the article, Croatian government representatives told Croatia's Hina agency they "do not comment on unverified information."

Croatia-based website Index is reporting that the image showing Hasanbegovic wearing a hat that was part of the fascist Ustasha uniform published recently by Nedeljnik, was originally published in 1996 in a publication called "Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska (Independent State of Croatia)."

According to Novosti, Hasanbegovic was a contributor to this magazine. Before the latest controversy, he came under fire for referring to anti-fascism as "a platitude," and admiring a Nazi WW2-era imam.

Croatian Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic has defended Hasanbegovic, saying that "these comments in the public are made out of context," and describing him as "a staunch anti-fascist and historian, who I think will make a great minister."