The president of the SABA alliance of antifascist fighters and antifascists, Franjo Habulin, said on Sunday they were not satisfied with the amendments to the law on minor offences and that fascist salutes and insignia should be in the criminal code, as in Germany and Austria.

Earlier today, Ognjen Kraus of the Coordination Committee of Jewish Communities in Croatia called out Serb MP Milorad Pupovac and Roma MP Veljko Kajtazi of having done nothing for the adoption of a criminal code that would punish the Ustasha salute and symbols.

Responding to questions from the press after a commemoration for the victims of the Jasenovac concentration camp, Habulin said SABA was not satisfied either.

If something is contrary to the Croatian Constitution, “it can’t be a misdemeanour, it’s a criminal offence,” he said, adding that Croatia should do what Germany and Austria did, put the display of Nazi and fascist insignia and salutes in the criminal code.

Habulin said it was necessary to clearly define police action in certain situations, adding that case law in Croatia is not uniform regarding this matter and that he is not sure the latest amendments will rectify that.

He called for dealing with the problems which he said have piled up in the last 30 years. “We know what I’m talking about, the fascistization which hasn’t happened only in Croatia, it’s happening in the rest of Europe, in European Union member states… However, we are concerned about the situation here.”

Parliament on Friday amended the law on minor offences against public order and peace, drastically increasing fines. Those for the most serious misdemeanours, including symbols and salutes which express or incite hatred, range from €700 to 4,000.