Far-Right Attacks on Croatian University Condemned

Some far-right media outlets in Croatia have been condemned for publishing a press release from an alleged initiative of academics called "Let's Save Rijeka" claiming that Serbian groups with the help of some political parties are trying to take control of the university in the Croatian city of Rijeka.

Those named in the statement have dismissed the claims as nonsense and as borderline hate speech.

The press release does not mention any names of the people supporting it or give any contacts. The so-called initiative also has no website or profile on social networks.

As evidence for its claims, the initiative said the son of Croatian Serb leader Milorad Pupovac would now be employed at the university and that its provost, Snjezana Prijic Samarzija, who is running for the post of rector, graduated from Belgrade University.

"We oppose the hegemonic plans of taking over academic and cultural institutions in Rijeka on the platform of Great Serbian ideology," the initiative says, adding that the rector on leave, Pero Lucin has allowed the university to become "a sort of academic SAO Krajina", referring to the breakaway Croatian Serb statelet in the 1990s.

The initiative also mentioned the role played by the centre-left Social Democratic Party, SDP, through the former Science, Education and Sports Minister, Zeljko Jovanovic, and the liberal Pametno (Smart) party, through Jovanovic's former deputy, Sasa Zelenika.

Zelenika told BIRN that he is no longer a member of Pametno, as the release claimed, and added: "People who don't even have the courage to sign themselves don't deserve an elaborate comment.

"Nevertheless, this shows how communication inside Croatia looks like and how so-called, patriotic internet portals use this for...