Izvor: N1 televizija, 02.Maj.2018, 13:21 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Charges dismissed against Croatian nationalist singer
A court in the central Croatian town of Slunj on Wednesday dismissed charges filed against singer Marko Perkovic a.k.a. Tompson for his use of a WW 2 fascist salute at an August 2017 concert in the town.
The singer was charged with using the salute Za Dom Spremni (For the Homeland Ready) during a performance of his 1990s wartime song at the concert organised as part of the 22nd anniversary celebrations of Operation Storm, a Croatian military offensive which overran areas held by >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << rebel Serb forces and ended the 1991-95 war.
The salute, originally used by World War II-era Croatian fascist Ustashe, was revived and used by some Croatian paramilitaries in the 1990s, and is still in use by a few modern-day right-wing and nationalist groups, and is considered controversial by the mainstream public.
In its ruling, the judge said that Perkovic's use of the salute could not be classified as hate speech, as the slogan is an integral part of the lyrics to his 1990s hit song Bojna Cavoglave.
"Performing this song did not cause any public disturbance, there were no political messages there which might upset citizens, and the accusation that it was hate speech was not proved (by the prosecution)," she said.
Perkovic's lawyer Davorin Karacic told the court that the lyrics are part of the song published on CD by Croatia Records, and are part of the music video which showed footage of Marko Perkovic and his comrades from the HOS paramilitary unit, which he joined in 1991.
Concerts by Perkovic - nicknamed Thompson after the submachine gun he was issued during the war - traditionally attract right-wing Croatian youth, and his fans sometimes sport nationalist insignia and slogans. His concerts in Croatia and abroad have drawn opposition and criticism from human rights groups and have been banned or cancelled in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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