A criminal report against Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic and another city official have been filed by the Bring Back Magnolia civic initiative on Wednesday, alleging that the construction work at the Victims of Fascism Square in Zagreb has violated the law and involved several counts of felony.

The initiative, formed by members of activist groups Zelena Akcija and Pravo Na Grad, has spent more than two months fighting against controversial works ordered by city authorities at one of the main squares in the city centre dominated by a modernist pavilion designed by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.

Bandic, and Silvije Novak, the head of the municipal department for the protection of inscribed properties, were reported over allegations of abuse of power and of damaging a protected cultural heritage site after stone steps around the pavilion had been removed, as part of the redevelopment of the square which is home to the pavilion and a small park around it.

“We have reported these illegal activities several times to relevant inspectorates, but to no avail as we have not received a single reply in two months. So we decided to file a criminal report to the state attorney,” head of the Zelena Akcija group, Zeljka Leljak-Gracin said on behalf of the Bring Back Magnolia initiative, which was formed after a landmark magnolia tree had been felled and removed in the initial stages of the park’s reconstruction.

The entire project was criticised earlier by a number of associations of architects, artists, landscape architects, conservationists, and heritage specialists.

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