Following the recent high-profile arrest of Serbian football player Branislav Joka (37) at the stadium in Bolman, as well as the prosecution of artist Svetlana Spajic in Zadar, the Documentation and Information Center “Veritas” has received a large number of calls and inquiries from concerned citizens in Serbia and the diaspora who intend to travel to the Republic of Croatia.
Given the evident legal uncertainty and the new methods employed by Croatian authorities, this statement aims to draw public attention to the dual legal mechanism used by the Ministry of the Interior of Croatia for the swift deportation and penalization of Serbs.
We warn citizens that completely separate judicial and administrative proceedings are currently being applied in Croatia. After the Misdemeanor Court renders a decision—which may be remarkably lenient, such as a fine or a suspended prison sentence—the legal process for Serbian citizens does not end there.
Entirely independent of the court, the Croatian police at local stations initiate a parallel administrative procedure ex officio based on the Foreigners Act. The Ministry of the Interior of Croatia utilizes its discretionary powers to issue an expulsion order and an entry ban to the European Economic Area (EU + Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) against a foreigner (a citizen of Serbia, BiH, etc.), which typically lasts from three months to one year. This measure is automatically entered into the Schengen Information System (SIS), effectively blocking the individual's entry into the entire European Union.
The grounds for these severe actions are most frequently posts on social media networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok). The Croatian border and internal police have specialized units that closely and retroactively monitor the profiles of citizens of Serbian nationality. Under the misdemeanor offense of “breach of public order and peace,” which also encompasses the “glorification of war criminals,” even transient Facebook “stories” visible on the network for only 24 hours, as well as videos featuring traditional songs recorded months or years ago, are being targeted.
The police utilize a practice of allowing an individual to clear the border crossing without any warnings, only to execute a sudden arrest in the interior of the country (at a sports field, inside accommodation, or in a public space), while failing to timely notify the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Serbia.
Based on numerous inquiries from the diaspora, DIC “Veritas” highlights another critical legal fact: this measure of police expulsion and SIS entry ban cannot be applied to individuals who, in addition to Serbian or any other nationality, also hold Croatian citizenship.
Pursuant to Article 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, no Croatian citizen may be exiled from the country, nor can they be barred from entry. Dual citizens may be held liable before a misdemeanor court and pay a fine for a controversial post or song, but the police have no jurisdiction over them under the Foreigners Act.
DIC “Veritas” once again appeals to all compatriots who do not possess Croatian documents and intend to travel to Croatia not to take border crossings lightly. We urge them to thoroughly review and remove all content from their social media profiles that could be weaponized against them, and to remain fully aware of the risk of dual penalization to which they are exposed.
Belgrade, Banja Luka, September 25, 2026
Information Service of DIC “VERITAS”
