"The ministry of war veterans' affairs said on Tuesday that Boris Dezulovic's column, published by the N1 broadcaster on 2 November, is an 'insulting article against war victims in Vukovar' due to the coarse and profane language used by the author," state agency Hina said.

“The ministry says that Dezulovic is ‘trying to belittle all the victims of Vukovar and of the Homeland War.’ His column convinces us that ‘we must keep persevering with the promotion of the truth about the Homeland War’ which helped the Croatian people ‘to see the centuries-long dream’ about their state come true,” Hina said, citing an unsigned press release.

“The ministry says that the sacrifice made in Vukovar and Skabrnja deserves to be honoured on a daily basis and by all citizens of the Republic of Croatia that became free owing to those who gave their lives  for the independence of their country,” Hina said, citing the ministry.

“Every well-meaning and sensible person is outraged at how Boris Dezulovic easily disparages the war victims of Vukovar, the ministry says, wondering why Dezulovic cannot be at ease with the dignified manner of commemorating the Vukovar victims and why he could not be at ease with freedom which he can enjoy thanks to the sacrifices made in Vukovar and the whole of Croatia,” Hina said, citing the ministry.

“The ministry condemns the text that particularly disturbs the families who lost their dearest ones,” Hina quoted the ministry as saying.

“Dezulovic writes, among other things, in his article headlined “F*off Vukovar” that for thirty years, “our patriotism has been incessantly measured” by Vukovar which after 30 years of “hypnotic murmur filled with awe for the Homeland” has become devoid of each individual meaning, sense and point and that Vukovar has been used for making all feel reverence for Croatia,” Hina explained.

N1 television said that they ‘do not censor’ articles written by their columnists, but added that “views and opinions expressed in columns are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of N1.”