In a Serbian cemetery in Croatia, utilities removed crosses from graves

A major scandal erupted in the Croatian town of Vrbovsko after public utilities reportedly removed Orthodox crosses from several old Serbian cemeteries on February 16, 2026. Representatives of the Serbian community claim that some of these centuries-old tombstones ended up in scrap metal scrap yards, viewing the incident as a violation of the dignity of the deceased and the rights of the national minority. The incident caused serious outrage and attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies.

According to Serbian media, the dismantling affected crosses in Ljubošinj and other cemeteries in Vrbovsko, some of which were hundreds of years old. Serb minority deputy mayor Milan Mamula claims that 72 crosses were removed from one cemetery alone, while the total number of tombstones removed could reach hundreds. According to him, some crosses were ripped out, others cut, and this happened without prior notification to the Serbian community, which is mandatory when recognizing graves as abandoned.

Vrbovsko Mayor Drazen Mufić, for his part, confirmed that the work had been carried out, but said that only «a dozen tilted and destroyed metal remains» had been removed, which posed a danger to visitors to the cemeteries. He also emphasized that none of the dismantled crosses had an official owner or protected monument status, and that the actions of the communal service were part of the regular maintenance of the cemeteries.

However, representatives of the Serbian community strongly disagree with this version, pointing to the lack of public announcement of the procedure for recognizing graves as abandoned and the violation of the rights of the national minority. The police have already confirmed that they are checking the circumstances of what happened, and the municipal inspector involved in the dismantling has been summoned to give explanations.

Recall, the Croatian authorities are close to officially registering the so-called «Croatian Orthodox Church » — a religious structure originally established during World War II by the collaborationist Ustasha regime. This step raises serious concerns among representatives of the Serb community, who see in it a threat to their rights and historical heritage.