The Croatian Foreign Ministry voiced concern on Thursday over an incident outside the Croatian Consulate General in Subotica, northern Serbia, and the hate speech to which the Croatian minority in the city was subjected, asking Serbia to take measures to protect the consulate and the Croatian community in Serbia.
The ministry told media it considered the protection of the rights and dignity of every ethnic minority one of the fundamental democratic principles in every country.
The Croatian National Council in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina yesterday voiced concern over the fact that the Subotica city authorities had not reacted to the chauvinistic incidents against Croats during the Serb Orthodox Christmas eve. The Council said it had expected Mayor Sasa Vucinic to "publicly condemn the events in which ethnic Croats were not only insulted, but openly threatened as well."
The mayor dismissed the criticism, saying there was no evidence of insults or anti-Croat incidents.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry told reporters that on January 6, a group of vehicles was driving by the Croatian consulate in Subotica and that unidentified persons hurled ethnic-based insults at the Croatian ethnic minority. The ministry said a number of local Croats confirmed that offensive and threatening things were said that day.
The ministry asked Consul General Ljerka Alajbeg to contact the Serbian authorities so that the incident could be investigated, and asked the Serbian authorities to take measures to protect the consulate in Subotica and the Croatian community in Serbia.
