The Zagreb municipal court has sustained an indictment against Dinamo soccer club's executive director Zdravko Mamic charged with inciting violence and hatred when in a radio show he insulted Education and Sport Minister Zeljko Jovanovic and the ethnic Serb community in Croatia, the local prosecution's office told the media on Wednesday.
The indictment was issued by prosecutors in mid-June after Mamic on 15 March accused Jovanovic, a minister of Serb ethnic background, of cherishing anti-Croatian sentiment.
"He despises all things Croatian, the Olympic committee, football association. He's an insult to the Croatian mind. He's a Serb who has never worked in education or sports. He's a Croatian hater", Mamic was quoted say saying. The Zagreb-based Soundset Radio distanced themselves from Mamic's outburst and later President Ivo Josipovic, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and many others deplored this offensive language.
Mamic was also detained in a holding cell in the police headquarters in Zagreb for 24 hours after his interview with the local radio.
