HISTORIAN MILOŠ KOVIĆ BANNED FROM ENTERING CROATIA

BELGRADE, MARCH 27 /SRNA/ - Historian Miloš Ković was denied entry into Croatia and was turned back at the border today, with the explanation that he allegedly poses a threat to "public order, internal security, public health, and international relations".

Ković told SRNA that he was stopped at the Bajakovo border crossing along with fellow historian Branislav Stanković, as they were traveling to Gradiška and Banja Luka for the presentation of Stanković's book titled Nikola Tesla, I am a Serb.

At the border, they waited 90 minutes in a line caused by Croatia’s new security measures for entry, and then another half an hour aside with no explanation given.

"They then called me to a police station and handed me a decision banning my entry into Croatia," Ković said.

He added that he refused to sign the decision, which was noted in the document, and his passport was returned.

"I received the decision. The police officer didn't even know what it said; he just handed it to me. The document states that I represent a `threat to public order, internal security, public health, and international relations,`" Ković explained.

He believes the ban was imposed because Croatia wants to hide the truth about itself, but that they are gravely mistaken if they think that this can be achieved by preventing historians from crossing the border.

"The truth is that Croatia committed one of the most horrific genocides in human and European history. This is genocide against the Serbian people," Ković stated.

He emphasized that, despite any attempts to conceal it, the truth cannot be hidden: "What happened to me is an additional motivation to pursue the truth and bear witness to it," Ković said.

After being turned back at the Croatian border, Ković and Stanković traveled through Republika Srpska to Banja Luka, where they are scheduled to present Stanković's book at 19:00. They missed the presentation in Gradiška due to the border ordeal.

"We are going to Banja Luka via the corridor to present my colleague Stanković's book, which compiles all the information about Nikola Tesla's Serbian identity. It is a valuable and important book, especially considering Croatia's attempts to appropriate Serbian history, including Serbian greats like Tesla," Ković concluded.