Josip Dabro, a member of the Homeland Movement and former Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia as well as Minister of Agriculture, has been detained following the revocation of his parliamentary immunity at the request of prosecutors, which pertains to allegations of child rights violations and illegal possession of weapons.

The police confirmed, without disclosing his name, that they had arrested a 42-year-old man based on a warrant from the Osijek prosecutorial office. He is now to be transferred to the detention unit of the Vukovar-Srijem Police Department.

Subsequently, he will be brought before the municipal prosecutor’s office in Osijek for further legal proceedings, in coordination with the state prosecutor’s office, as reported by HRT.

Following the hearing, the municipal prosecutor’s office will determine whether to initiate an investigation against Dabro and if a request for pretrial detention will be made due to concerns about potential witness tampering and evidence destruction. The decision regarding his detention will be made by an investigative judge in Osijek.

After leaving Parliament during the session that saw his immunity lifted, Dabro expressed to reporters that he anticipates being placed in custody and that he has prepared his belongings. He mentioned that he will consider his support for the ruling coalition after his release from custody, which is vital for maintaining their majority of 76 seats in Parliament.

The Osijek Prosecutor’s Office has accused Dabro of permitting a child to discharge firearms, including a pistol and an automatic rifle, throw an object resembling a hand grenade, and disassemble and clean weapons between the years 2020 and 2024, thereby jeopardizing the child’s safety.

Additionally, he is suspected of illegally possessing a military-grade automatic rifle, from which he reportedly discharged gunfire on agricultural land, coupled with possession of an illegal explosive device that resembles a hand grenade.

Just over a month prior, Dabro resigned from his role as Minister of Agriculture after a video surfaced showing him firing a weapon from the passenger seat of a car, leading to an investigation. Following that, another video surfaced of him shooting a Kalashnikov in a field, while reports indicated that the prosecution is also in possession of footage of him allowing a minor to operate a machine gun.

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