Croatian mayor won't face ethnic hatred charges

The District State Prosecution of Zagreb has rejected a criminal complaint filed against the Mayor of Split and Croatian MP Željko Kerum.

Izvor: Beta

Thursday, 15.11.2012.

21:27

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ZAGREB The District State Prosecution of Zagreb has rejected a criminal complaint filed against the Mayor of Split and Croatian MP Zeljko Kerum. Reports from Zagreb on Thursday said that Kerum will not be charged for the criminal act of causing racial and other kinds of discrimination. Croatian mayor won't face ethnic hatred charges The complaint asserted that Kerum had publicly presented stances that denigrate members of the Serb ethnic minority when he was a guest on a program broadcast by the state television HRT, and that he treated Serbs as second-rate citizens. But the prosecution disagreed, and announced today that that there was no basis for suspicion that the mayor was guilty of the charges. The prosecution further added: "It cannot be determined without any doubt that his statements were made exclusively and concretely with the goal of expressing ethnic hatred, and a public presentation of a nation's subordination, with the goal of causing and spreading hate speech toward that nation." When he appeared on the HRT talk show in September, Kerum said that his business troubles had begun three years before when he took part in the same program and said that he "would not want a Serb man as his son-in-law" and that "Serbs should know their place". He further confided that "many of his friends and Orthodox (Christian) acquaintances" held these statements against him. Kerum then said that a majority of Croats shared his opinion, "but do not dare to speak up". He also accused Serbs of having "a horrific influence" on his country's finances and media. Kerum was later criticized for his statements by many Croatian ruling and opposition politicians. Zelko Kerum (file) Beta

Croatian mayor won't face ethnic hatred charges

The complaint asserted that Kerum had publicly presented stances that denigrate members of the Serb ethnic minority when he was a guest on a program broadcast by the state television HRT, and that he treated Serbs as second-rate citizens.

But the prosecution disagreed, and announced today that that there was no basis for suspicion that the mayor was guilty of the charges. The prosecution further added:

"It cannot be determined without any doubt that his statements were made exclusively and concretely with the goal of expressing ethnic hatred, and a public presentation of a nation's subordination, with the goal of causing and spreading hate speech toward that nation."

When he appeared on the HRT talk show in September, Kerum said that his business troubles had begun three years before when he took part in the same program and said that he "would not want a Serb man as his son-in-law" and that "Serbs should know their place".

He further confided that "many of his friends and Orthodox (Christian) acquaintances" held these statements against him.

Kerum then said that a majority of Croats shared his opinion, "but do not dare to speak up". He also accused Serbs of having "a horrific influence" on his country's finances and media.

Kerum was later criticized for his statements by many Croatian ruling and opposition politicians.

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