Zagreb - State Attorney General Ivan Turudić said he was satisfied with the work of prosecution offices while presenting his 2024 report to parliament on Wednesday. He expressed regret that MPs focused on salutes rather than enforcement actions, referring to the Ustasha salute “For the homeland - ready”.
Turudić highlighted improvements in the speed and efficiency of criminal and civil proceedings. “This required... achieving better results in the personnel renewal of state attorney's offices. In cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, which is excellent, staffing levels have increased. We aim to reach an optimal number of 885 deputy and state attorneys; currently, there are around 700.”
He said the situation was improving steadily, with more cases being resolved, a higher case-handling rate, and each deputy and state attorney working harder than in previous years. The upward trend in unresolved cases has been halted, he added, though he warned of objective reasons why the situation is not yet better, citing the long duration of court proceedings.
Property-related assets seized rose by 14% compared with 2023, totalling about €30 million. Turudić noted that actual confiscation is often limited for objective reasons, such as when defendants have no recoverable property.
Turudić said one of the difficulties prosecutors face is public statements by individual MPs that interfere with investigations.
He regretted that none of the MPs mentioned that in 2024, a joint operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Aagency and Western European agencies had seized around seven tonnes of cocaine in one case. “In Croatia alone, we seized 800 kilograms, but no one highlighted this as an important fact,” he said.
He reminded MPs that the law on the State Attorney's Office prohibits any form of influence or pressure on prosecutors and deputies, including abuse of public authority or media interventions in criminal cases prosecuted ex officio or in the protection of state property.
“The past ten years of HDZ rule have eroded political and judicial institutions. Croatia is captured by a single political party that controls all processes, including the work of the state attorney general. Turudić has not even attempted to establish trust outside the ruling majority; nothing else interests him,” said Dalija Orešković (DOSiP).
She stressed that citizens need a chief prosecutor whom any political party cannot manipulate and who maintains equal distance and respect toward all.
Ivan Penava (Homeland Movement - DP) criticised the failure to prosecute main perpetrators of war crimes from the Homeland War, calling it “unhygienic and inhumane.”
Marijan Pavliček (Croatian Sovereignists) demanded that the State Attorney’s Office investigate alleged vote-buying involving his opponent (Penava) in the second round of local elections in Vukovar, accusing the DP leadership.
“Two days after the elections, only representatives of the Croatian Sovereignists were questioned; no one from DP has been. This is not pressure, but I expect the case to be investigated fully,” Pavliček said.
DP MPs responded by accusing Pavliček and his mentor Mario Radić (DOMINO) of vote-buying, claiming Radić has significant funds to purchase votes and that there are witnesses of direct payments.
“Over the years, the State Attorney’s Office, regardless of who appointed the state attorney general, has served political elites. There are so many files of citizen complaints waiting for a verdict, and it is the state attorney general’s duty to serve citizens and prosecute criminal activity,” said Nikola Grmoja (Bridge).