The Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-Fascists (SABA) appealed to the Croatian and world public on Tuesday to support their efforts against historical revisionism aimed at rehabilitating forces defeated in World War II and to build Croatia contrary to its Constitution which, according to SABA, culminated with the recent arrest of a prominent anti-fascist and Croatia's first interior minister, Josip Boljkovac.
The SABA statement was signed by its honorary president Stjepan Mesic, president Ratko Maricic and vice president Drago Pilsel.
SABA said that Boljkovic's arrest was "the culmination of the right-wing offensive which not only denies the national liberation anti-fascist struggle in Croatia but it also throws down the gauntlet before Europe which is built on the anti-fascist foundation."
SABA said that ahead of the election campaign, such actions help divert the public's attention from burning issues.
The 91-year-old Boljkovac was Croatia's interior minister in the early 1990s.
He was arrested on November 2 on suspicion of organising the execution of 21 civilians in May 1945 as the chief of the Karlovac branch of the former Yugoslav secret service OZNA. Due to the gravity of the charges, he was placed in custody for a month and an investigation has been launched. Due to his age and condition, he is in the prison hospital.
