Marko Perković Thompson sent an open letter to Croatian newsrooms, reacting to what he claims are untrue and offensive claims by foreign agencies that linked him to Nazism in reports about the Zagreb concert on July 5th, writes N1.
The letter was sent to the media by the law firm Mateković & Partners, which represents Thompson. It states that Thompson has already sent a personal response to foreign agencies and embassies of the USA, France and Great Britain.
"I have never, nor will I, support any ideology that promotes hatred"
"The claim that I am a Nazi is an unfounded, untrue and deeply offensive claim that damages my reputation, honor and dignity. I note that I have never, nor will I, support any ideology, regime, government and/or any way of governing the state that has persecuted or is persecuting people on the basis of their national, religious, racial and/or political affiliation, and that promotes hatred, violence and/or discrimination on any of the aforementioned grounds", begins the Thompson letter.
"Your association of me and my songs with Nazism, and with totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, is a completely inappropriate and unacceptable reporting of my concert and constitutes defamatory and offensive behavior that has no basis in fact.
At the same time, this false labeling and insulting of me and my songs also represents a false labeling and insulting of my audience – hundreds of thousands of Croats, but also members of other nations from all over the world – who love, follow and listen to my music and who, among others, came to my concert held in Zagreb on July 5, 2025," he continues.
"'Battle of the Čavoglave' neither "in no way does it represent any form of Nazism"
"Regarding the song 'The Battle of Čavoglave' and the salute 'Ready for Home' with which the song begins, I would like to note that I wrote it in September and first performed it in November 1991, as a reaction to the Greater Serbian aggression against Croatia. At that historical moment, this song became a kind of national wake-up call that encouraged Croatian defenders in the just and defensive war imposed on Croatia.
"The aforementioned song, therefore, was created precisely as a response to hatred and violence - as a consequence of the national, religious and political persecution of Croats - and in no way represents, nor can it represent, any form of Nazism," he pointed out, adding that the High Misdemeanor Court of the Republic of Croatia issued a verdict on June 3, 2020, which finally confirmed his right to perform the song in its complete and original form, which also includes the aforementioned greeting.
"If you repeat the publication of untrue and harmful statements about me and my audience, I will be forced to initiate appropriate legal proceedings before the competent courts"
"It is therefore unacceptable to label and insult me personally as a person who allegedly flirts with Nazism and holds alleged Nazi concerts, but consequently also to label and insult my audience. Consequently, you do not respect the judicial system and the laws of the Republic of Croatia, and you declare a song that is indisputably permitted by a final court decision to be controversial and judge me, my work and my audience based on it."
I therefore ask you to inform your readers and viewers of the above facts and this response to the untrue allegations, and in the future refrain from such offensive statements who insult me personally, but also the entire Croatian and foreign audience who follow and love my music and sing my songs.
In the event that even after my reaction you repeat the publication of untrue and harmful allegations about me and my audience, I will be forced to initiate appropriate legal proceedings before the competent courts in order to protect my rights and interests", concluded Thompson.
Source: N1
Photo: HINA/Damir SENCAR
