The news in Croatian
Hrvatska je poslala prosvjednu notu Srbiji zbog postupanja prema hrvatskim građanima . Pet žena iz Hrvatske, koje su bile na radionici u Beogradu, uhićene su i protjerane zbog sigurnosnih razloga. Hrvatska traži objašnjenje i razmišlja o promjeni preporuka za putovanje u Srbiju. Ministar vanjskih poslova osudio je ovaj događaj.
Translation
Croatia has sent a protest note to Serbia regarding the treatment of Croatian citizens. Five women from Croatia, who were attending a workshop in Belgrade, have been arrested and expelled for security reasons. Croatia is seeking an explanation and is considering changing its travel recommendations to Serbia. The Foreign Minister has condemned this incident.
Exercise: Text comprehension
Question 1: Why did Croatia send a protest note to Serbia?
Croatia sent a protest note to Serbia because of the treatment of Croatian citizens.
Question 2: What did Croatia consider changing after the incident?
Croatia considered changing its travel recommendations to Serbia after the incident.
Exercise: Vocabulary
Read the full story
▌24/01/2025
Croatia has officially sent a protest note to Serbia in response to the treatment of its citizens in the neighbouring country. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this measure following an incident involving the detention and subsequent expulsion of five Croatian women by Serbian authorities.
The protest note demands an explanation and expresses strong disapproval of Serbia's handling of the situation. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman highlighted the seriousness of the event, noting that the five women, representatives of non-governmental organisations, were attending a workshop organised by Erste Foundation in Belgrade when they were detained by Serbian police.
According to reports, the women were held overnight for questioning at a police station in Belgrade. They were later expelled from Serbia with a ban on entering the country for one year, justified by unspecified security concerns regarding the Republic of Serbia and its citizens.
Croatian Protest Note to Serbia Over Citizen Treatment (Illustration)
One of the detained women, art historian Ana Kovačić from Zagreb, described being approached by plainclothes officers at her hotel, who showed badges and insisted on taking them to a police station. Kovačić recounted that the officers refused to answer questions or provide any meaningful clarification.
Minister Grlić Radman condemned the incident, stating that Croatia would reassess travel recommendations to Serbia and alert the European Commission and Poland's EU Presidency about the situation. Radman also mentioned that they would compile evidence of harassment against Croatian citizens to discuss this further with the EU.
This incident is not the first in a series of recent tensions between the two countries. There have been previous reports of Croatian citizens facing discomfort and unjust treatment in Serbia, including allegations of spying against Croatian students and the broadcast of personal information of a Croatian journalist by prominent figures in Serbia.
The Croatian government has assured its citizens of full diplomatic support and is committed to ensuring their safety while abroad. Meanwhile, Serbia has yet to provide a comprehensive response to these claims.
Info: "Croatian Learner News" is a service from "Let's Learn Croatian", a language school dedicated to helping students learn to speak Croatian through diverse online courses. Each programme is carefully designed to cater to varying levels of proficiency, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enhance their language skills effectively.
Advanced: Reports from Croatia
- Croatia Issues Protest Note to Serbia (Index.hr)
- Croatia Issues Strong Protest Note to Serbia: 'Awaiting Response!' (Jutarnji list)
- Croatia Sends Protest Note to Serbia (Dnevnik.hr)