Eighteen human rights NGOs sent an open letter to President Zoran Milanovic on Wednesday, saying that he has "crossed over to the dark side" because, instead of defending human rights and freedoms, he is becoming a speaker with a rigid nationalistic programme.

“We are concerned about your increasingly clear stances which are contrary to fundamental human rights and the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Instead of being active in defending human rights and freedom, you are sounding more like a speaker with a ‘sovereignist’, rigid, nationalist programme,” the letter says.

The letter was sent, the NGOs said, following Milanovic’s comments negating the findings of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and disturbing evidence of violence by Croatian border police against migrants, and his statements downplaying the Srebrenica genocide, which they say additionally victimises the victims as well as citizens in the entire region.

“You brought the very concept of genocide into question by scaling it down to statistics, the number of those killed, and not the horrific practice of killing people because of their ethnicity. At the same time, you introduced a difference between the victims of various genocidal activities, typically nationalistically more concerned about ‘being labelled’ as genocidal than about the practice of genocidal rampage,” the letter says.

The NGOs consider that a statement by Milanovic on Tuesday regarding the anniversary of the assassination of the Zec family represents the climax of his damaging public activities that are contrary to the protection of human rights.

“We all as citizens are particularly disturbed by the fact that this crime is socially acceptable, so much so that the murderers were later awarded Croatian state decorations and one of them was a bodyguard for a high-ranking state official. It’s almost as though we begun already then the fatal game of hiding ‘our’ crimes and criminals, which continues to the present in the Hussiny case. And all this seems unimportant to you compared to the nation’s image,” the NGOs said.

What Milanovic promised and what he is actually doing

The NGOs said that in the discrepancy between his campaign and inaugural speech on the one hand and his actions, he has gone a step further, “towards unforeseeable irresponsibility, deceit and fraud.”

In his inaugural speech, Milanovic pledged that he would be a constructive factor, the NGOs said, yet his statements are “destructive and could have unforeseeable and long-term consequences.”

He also promised that his foreign policy would focus on points on which cooperation and prosperity could be built upon, however, they said, insulting members of the European torture committee, downplaying the Srebrenica genocide, and the prejudices he uses when talking about neighbouring communities sever ties and are an extreme step backwards that is distancing Croatia from its neighbours and the world.

“President Milanovic, you have stood on the side of crude nationalism based on myths, past traumas and prejudices, not on the side of critical attachment to this society and to the negation of exclusiveness. You have stood on the side of a mighty and privileged minority in opposition to disenfranchised and marginalised minorities as well as every resident of Croatia who is working on living in a normal country,” the NGOs wrote.

You asked for a “grain of understanding” for your errors, however, you will not get it from the citizens of this country because your errors resound with the intention to hurt and humiliate the most vulnerable components of your society, they added.

“Milanovic, no matter how difficult being a president is, that is a burden you took upon yourself and with which you have to live with for another three years. Find some purpose and spare Croatian citizens of your outbursts of frustration and rage,” the NGOs said.