Eight Croats who were arrested again and detained in the Zambian city of Ndola will not be brought before the competent court this week, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP) confirmed to the Croatian state news agency Hina on Thursday.

Croatia’s Ambassador in Pretoria, Ante Cicvaric, is currently in Zambia, and the Croatian citizens are being provided with food and other necessities, the Ministry said.

“Croatia has once again made a request via the competent authorities in Zambia that the Croatian citizens be treated humanely, that their dignity is respected, that in case of need, they are provided with medical assistance, that they are questioned in a language they understand and that, regardless of the gravity of the criminal offence they are suspected of, there is no presumption of guilt,” they added.

The ministry will continue to provide consular assistance to the detained Croatian citizens through diplomatic channels.

Four Croatian couples were arrested early in December at the airport of Ndola, Zambia’s third largest city, on suspicion of child trafficking and document forgery because the validity of the documents on the adoption of minor children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was questionable.

The children, who have Croatian documents, were taken from them and placed in the care of Zambian authorities.

In mid-January, the Croatian nationals were released from custody after having met all the bail conditions set by the court.

On Monday, the charges against them were withdrawn but the court did not dismiss them as originally announced. They were ordered to leave the country within 48 hours. However, they were arrested again at the airport on the order of the Zambian Department of Immigration.

Croatian Minister of Justice Ivan Malenica said on Wednesday that there is a provision in Zambian law saying that after an indictment is withdrawn, it can be re-instated and that he thinks that this is exactly what happened in this case.

“It’s strange that they were released and given 48 hours to leave the country and then arrested again. That’s certainly strange,” said Malenica.

He said that Croatia is continuing to try and assist the Croatian citizens in all possible ways.

“Naturally, we are continuing to care for the children as well,” Malenica said, adding that the new situation is “very serious.”