Croatia's High Misdemeanor Court has dismissed the appeal lodged by Dragan Umicevic, an activist of the Are You Syrious humanitarian NGO which rescues migrants, against a fine of 60,000 kuna (€8,000) imposed on him for having helped a group of migrants in March 2018 to illegally cross the Croatian border, the Jutarnji List reported on Wednesday.

The ruling of the High Misdemeanor Court was sent to Vinkovci’s Municipal Court that fined Umicevic in 2018 when it found Umičević guilty of helping a 14-member Afghan family to illegally cross the border from Serbia into Croatia near the village of Strosinci, by sending them light signals from his car about where to cross the border.

Umicevic helped them to seek asylum in Croatia, the daily reported today, adding that the fine issued represents a way to intimidate activists and NGOs who help irregular and undocumented migrants.