Croatia files criminal charges against suspected paramilitary commander

Croatian police in Šibenik-Knin have filed criminal charges against a 71-year-old Serbian and Australian citizen for allegedly threatening a police officer, inciting violence and hatred, and defaming the Republic of Croatia.

The investigation suggests the individual made these statements during a television appearance in Serbia in August. While the police report did not explicitly name the suspect, the details align with public information regarding Dragan Vasiljković, also known as ‘Captain Dragan’.

Vasiljković, a former commander of a Serbian paramilitary unit during the Croatian War of Independence, was previously sentenced to over 13 years in prison for war crimes and was expelled from Croatia in 2020. He is currently unavailable to Croatian judicial authorities.