Dubrovnik Mayor and Judges Clash Over Drug Sentencing

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković and the Association of Croatian Judges (UHS) are engaged in a dispute regarding the judicial response to drug trafficking. Franković has criticized the current penal policy, alleging that drug consumption is widespread across Croatian institutions and calling for mandatory prison sentences to remove dealers from the streets.

In response, the UHS released statistics from the Dubrovnik courts for the 2025 and 2026 period. The data shows that out of 35 drug-related cases decided by the Municipal Court in Dubrovnik, 85.7 percent resulted in convictions, and in 76.7 percent of those cases, unconditional prison sentences were imposed. The UHS emphasized that courts can only rule on cases brought before them based on evidence provided by the police and the State Attorney’s Office.

Criminalist Dubravko Klarić has characterized Franković’s claims regarding widespread cocaine use in state institutions as unverified and potentially confusing to the public, noting the lack of concrete criminalistic evidence. Meanwhile, local council members have responded to the debate, with some calling for similar decisiveness in addressing political corruption.