Researcher Nikola Kajkić publicly calls out the SDSS president for failing to condemn hate messages after the fire in Croatia and earlier statements about war crimes at Ovčara, demanding an apology and disassociation.
Researcher Nikola Kajkić published an open letter to SDSS president Milorad Pupovac on Facebook on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. In it, he directly criticizes Pupovac for double standards in his public appearances and for failing to clearly condemn certain events and messages. The text was also carried by the portal Cronika.hr.
Kajkić reminded Pupovac of his statement from October 2020. At that time, commenting on the arrests of individuals suspected of war crimes at Ovčara, Pupovac said that "people cannot be arrested based on private investigations."
Kajkić notes that his research contributed to gathering information about potential perpetrators. The arrests came nearly 30 years after the crimes were committed.
He is particularly bothered that Pupovac has not reacted or apologized regarding his close associate Dragutin Ćelap. Ćelap was sentenced a month ago to 12 years in prison, a non-final verdict, for a war crime committed in Croatia in 1991.
Kajkić also criticizes Pupovac for not clearly distancing himself from comments from the Serbian side. These comments, following the fire in Croatia, contained hate messages and gloating over the suffering.
In his post, he quotes Informer headlines: "Their beautiful, beautifully burning" and "Their beautiful burned down." He notes that Pupovac has not distanced himself from these, nor from the thousands of comments that gloated and incited hatred.
The researcher also states that Pupovac has not commented on the recent spy affair and hacking of Croatian institutions, linked to a BIA agent in Zagreb. He only reacts and speaks to the media when it suits him, Kajkić concludes.
In his post, Kajkić directly asks Pupovac: "Milorad Pupovac, is it that hard to say? We apologize. We distance ourselves. We are sorry. It's not hard. But for you, it clearly is."
He calls on him to show more responsibility, dignity, and compassion towards victims, regardless of their nationality or political affiliation. He demands that he publicly say: "I apologize. I am sorry. These are crimes of individuals, not of the Serbian people."
The post also references Đorđe Ćurčić, an SDSS member and former deputy county prefect of Vukovar-Srijem County. According to Kajkić's claims, Ćurčić ordered the digging of the mass grave at Ovčara, and Pupovac protected him.
Kajkić concludes: "So, Milorad, less pathos, and more dignity and sincerity. More emotion towards the victims, but also towards those who suffered in the latest arson fire."
