Clarification Statement
We appreciate the opportunity to clarify several points raised during the debate, particularly with regard to Liberland’s legal status, its relationship with Croatian authorities, and references to meetings between our respective heads of state. In the interest of factual accuracy, legal clarity, and good-faith relations, we offer the following clarifications.
1. Liberland is not Croatian territory
Liberland was proclaimed on 13 April 2015 on territory not claimed by the Republic of Croatia. Croatia has consistently maintained that its border with Serbia follows historical cadastral boundaries, which exclude the territory of Liberland. Serbia, by contrast, claims that the border follows the middle of the Danube, which likewise excludes this territory.
As a result, the land constituted terra nullius under international law prior to Liberland’s proclamation. Liberland did not appropriate Croatian territory, did not secede from it, and is not constituted on Croatian soil. Statements asserting that Liberland is part of Croatia are therefore legally inaccurate.
2. No connection to illegal migration
Liberland has no involvement whatsoever in illegal migration, migrant smuggling, or the facilitation of unlawful border crossings.
Persons associated with Liberland who travel in the region are overwhelmingly EU citizens holding valid documents and lawfully exercising their rights under EU and Schengen law. Liberland neither organizes nor tolerates illegal border crossings, nor does the territory function as a transit point for migrants. Any attempt to link Liberland with migration pressure along the Danube is factually unfounded.
3. No security threat
Liberland fully respects Croatian law enforcement and has never engaged in violence, obstruction, or resistance to police authority. Even in instances where actions against the Liberland community were discriminatory or aimed at restricting EU citizens’ lawful freedoms, Liberland’s response has remained peaceful and non-confrontational.
We respect Croatia as a sovereign state and fully support its right and duty to protect its borders, deter human trafficking, and maintain public order. Liberland’s activities are not intended to undermine Croatian interests but to contribute positively to regional development. The presence of the Liberland community in Gornja Siga does not conflict with Croatia’s stated border position, regardless of the final resolution of the border dispute.
4. Allegations regarding land clearing and environmental damage
Claims that Liberland supporters engaged in unlawful land clearing or environmental damage are misleading and incomplete.
No meaningful environmental damage was caused by Liberlanders. Instead, the predominant interaction with the area involved the removal and destruction of Liberland citizens’ property. On multiple documented occasions, assets valued in the tens of thousands of euros were removed or destroyed—often in the presence of their owners and against their explicit objections. These assets included, among others:
- fully functional electric generators
- operational Starlink communication terminals
- dozens of bicycles
- residential and utility equipment
In several cases, such removals occurred in the presence of the owners, against their explicit objections and pleas. Some of these incidents—including the Hrvatske Šume property removals on 20–21 September 2023 and subsequent bicycle seizures with owners present—were recorded and published online, providing publicly accessible documentation. Recordings of other incidents are included in files submitted to Croatian judicial authorities and will be provided to Members of the Sabor upon request.
Beyond movable property, entire installations were dismantled or removed, including:
- a complete temporary settlement with communal kitchen and sanitary facilities
- three wooden residential structures
- a houseboat
- an entire construction site of the first planned Liberland medical clinic, established in cooperation with international charitable organizations
In addition, lawful river navigation in the area has been blocked in contravention of the Danube Convention. These actions cannot reasonably be described as environmental remediation. Liberland contests their legality and rejects their characterization as lawful or proportionate measures.
5. Concerning President Zoran Milanović
Assertions regarding meetings between President Zoran Milanović and the President of Liberland have been overstated. President Vít Jedlička met President Milanović briefly in a public setting at the Association of Croatian-American Professionals (ACAP) business conference in Zagreb on 20 June 2023. At the same event, Liberland representatives also had brief, cordial conversations with former President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and current Defence Minister Ivan Anušić.
Liberland rejects the use of the Croatian presidency or any other office in misleading or politicized narratives.
6. Call for accuracy and dialogue
Liberland respects the Republic of Croatia, its institutions, and the demanding work of its border authorities. Respectful relations, however, require accuracy rather than conjecture.
Liberland exists as a result of the evolution of the Croatia–Serbia border, not due to provocation, subversion, or criminal intent. The Liberland community does not deprive Croatia of territory or compromise its vital interests. We believe that a peaceful and cooperative relationship can bring significant investment, employment, and tourism to the region.
We therefore respectfully request that Liberland not be portrayed as Croatian territory, a migration vector, a security threat, or a criminal enterprise. Liberland remains open to dialogue, transparency, and fact-based discussion with all Croatian institutions.
The Government of the Free Republic of Liberland
Vít Jedlička
President of Liberland
Justin Sun
Prime Minister of Liberland
Thomas Walls
Minister of Foreign Affairs