The Vukovar Municipal Prosecutor's Office suspects 21 persons of hate speech in the eastern town of Borovo, which occurred on the day when the 30th anniversary of the killing of 12 Croatian police officers was marked in that town, coinciding with Orthodox Easter. 

The suspects, including a minor, are charged with having publicly incited to hatred and violence. They are believed to have planned the incident with the aim of inciting intolerance towards Serbs.

As they were passing as a group through the streets of Borovo early in the morning of 2 May, they set off fireworks, after which they shouted and repeatedly chanted inappropriate messages.

Following their first questioning, a motion was filed with the investigating judge at the Vukovar County Court to remand eight suspects in custody but the judge remanded three of the suspects in custody, dismissing the detention motion for the other five suspects and ruling that they are barred from Borovo and must report regularly to the police.

The incident in Borovo, which has a majority Serb population, happened last Sunday, when Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter, which coincided with the anniversary of the death of 12 police officers killed by Serb paramilitaries in Borovo in 1991.

The young men who caused the incident shouted anti-Serb slogans, including “Kill the Serbs”. The incident was condemned by political parties, the government, President Zoran Milanovic and the Serb National Council.