A mural depicting the borders of the Independent State of Croatia, the WWII puppet state od Nazi Germany, appeared in the southern town of Stolac and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) urged authorities to remove it and punish those behind it.

“We, as an organization that values democracy, peace and tolerance, want to express our strong condemnation of the recently created mural in Stolac, which depicts the borders of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). Such a depiction of a historical period that brought a lot of suffering and injustice to many people throughout the region creates concern and uneasiness. We believe it is important that art promotes the values of tolerance, life and reconciliation. Showing symbols or borders that are associated with difficult times from the past can support divisions and negative emotions among people,” SDA Stolac said in a statement.

The party also called on authorities to act quickly and decisively to identify the perpetrators who created the mural, as well as the judiciary to investigate it and bring those behind it to justice.

“Only such a step can send a strong message to promote the values of peace, coexistence and the rule of law. We ask the mayor of Stolac and the local HDZ, “carriers of European values”, who have full power in Stolac, to remove the mural from public space in order to avoid further controversy and potential damage to society, especially the returnee population in Stolac,” the party said.