The State Prosecutorial Council (DOV) has dismissed disciplinary actions against Deputy State Attorney General Drazen Jelenic due to his membership in a Masonic organisation, with the explanation that DOV members cannot be banned from membership in any citizens' association.

This was confirmed to the Croatian state news agency Hina by Jelenic’s defence attorney Vesna Alaburic, after DOV on Wednesday morning decided on the request by State Attorney General Zlata Hrvoj-Sipek that, due to his membership in a Freemasons’ organisation, Jelenic should be relieved of his duties in the state attorney’s office.

“In a short oral explanation, the DOV chair said that the decision is primarily based on the Supreme Court’s legal position that there is no law that would clearly and predictably prohibit DOV members from being members of any citizens’ association, including free-masons’ associations,” Alaburic said.

After he resigned in February 2020 after publicly admitting that he was a member of a Masonic lodge, the Office of the State Attorney General in late 2021 declared Jelenic responsible in terms of disciplinary action and dismissed him from the position of deputy state attorney general, which was requested by State Attorney General Zlata Hrvoj-Sipek, who was Jelenic’s superior at the time.

The Supreme Court then confirmed DOV’s decision whereby Jelenic was removed from office, after accepting his appeal on two occasions and dismissing DOV’s decisions.

The prosecutors claimed that Jelenic’s being a member of Freemasons was contrary to the basic principles of the professional code of ethics, and had possibly caused damage to the reputation of the state attorney’s office.

State Attorney General Hrvoj-Sipek has the right to appeal against DOV’s latest decision before the Supreme Court.