The HVIDRA association of disabled war veterans is dissatisfied with the slowness of the State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) in prosecuting war crimes committed during the 1991-1995 Homeland War, the organisation's president and chairman of the parliamentary committee on war veterans, Josip Djakic, said on Saturday.

The matter was discussed at an HVIDRA meeting in the southern coastal town of Makarska on Friday evening.

“The meeting held yesterday evening voiced dissatisfaction with DORH’s slowness in conducting an inquiry in connection with Article 349 of the Criminal Code, and speakers asked if DORH would soon make public the results of the inquiry,” Djakic told Hina on the margins of a sports competition of disabled war veterans.

Article 349 says that whoever mocks or disparages the Republic of Croatia, its flag, coat of arms or national anthem shall be punished by a prison term of up to one year.

The article was recently mentioned in the context of statements by Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) leader Milorad Pupovac, who in an interview with Bosnian media likened present-day Croatia to the WWII Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and said in an interview with the Slovenian newspaper Delo that the ideology of hatred was being generated in Croatian society.

Djakic said that the Makarska meeting involved about 40 officials of HVIDRA, including chairmen of regional committees and members of the presidency, national committee and court of honour, adding that they would meet again next week to discuss further steps.

In his opening remarks at the sports competition on Friday, Djakic said that “those who insult deserve prosecution.”