PM expects additional reports on last year's terrorist attack on government building

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday he expected additional reports from all security services about last year's terrorist attack on the government building in St Mark's Square in Zagreb, because he doubted that the attacker did not have any accomplices.

"This matter is too important and too serious and it was not discussed much. If it happened in any other country, believe me, no stone would be left unturned until it was found who got this person to do something like that," Plenković told reporters during a visit to the southern island of Hvar.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office (DORH) said on Thursday that the 12 October 2020 attack, carried out by 23-year-old Danijel Bezuk, was an act of terrorism but that the attacker did not have an abettor or instigator. 

Commenting on DORH's decision, Plenković said that he had seen footage of the attack, recalling that the perpetrator had twice returned to shoot at the government building and police.

"This incident was unprecedented. The perpetrator was young. This act cannot be described otherwise than a terrorist attack because it was an attack on an institution," the prime minister said.

He added that it was hard for him to believe that such a young person had committed such a crime for no reason and unprovoked.

"I think additional efforts should be made to see who are the people who influenced such a young person, who indoctrinated him and led him to do something like that. I don't think that he himself made the gun that he used, or that he learned to shoot on his own, or that he came to that decision on his own. I doubt there were no abettors or instigators," Plenković said.

He said he still stood by his statement that the attacker was influenced by "certain political parties".

"I will not be naming any names now, but I mentioned them the other day," Plenković said, alluding to parties that accuse his government of being a "Croatian-Serbian trading coalition". 

He said that he supports tolerance and respect for ethnic minorities and is against an exclusive and aggressive Croatia, stressing that parties like that will never be partners to his HDZ.

Asked how long St Mark's Square, the seat of the Government and Parliament, would stay fenced off, Plenković said that this decision rested with the Ministry of the Interior and security services. 

Text: Hina

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