# On Thursday, October 12th 2023, Croatian authorities violated international law by entering the territory of the Free Republic of Verdis.

Several settlers, including President Jackson were detained without legal basis by the Croatian police within an area they do not consider as part of Croatia. Verdis is rightful to its land under international law. The Croatian authorities forced the settlers to board a boat, asserting that they were not under arrest, while simultaneously preventing them from walking anywhere. In this process, the settlers’ documents and mobile phones were confiscated and settlers were not allowed to record. They were held at a police station located near the Hungarian border for several hours without the freedom to depart. The authorities informed the settlers that they must leave Croatia within seven days for a period of three months, or they would face forced removal.

It is important to note that the Croatian police actions disregarded the information found in their own government’s cadastral mapping, which clearly indicates that Verdis lies outside the territory of Croatia. Additionally, a park ranger from the neighbouring Kopački Rit area issued fines to multiple settlers for sleeping in Verdis, despite expressing reluctance and discomfort in doing so. Both Kopački Rit official maps and Croatian official maps confirm that Verdis is situated outside the boundaries of Croatian territory making these detainments and fines a breach of international law.

The settlers were eventually taken back to Verdis at around midnight to collect one of the boats and travel to Aljmaš. Settlers received no assistance in safe navigation of the Danube in the middle of the night.

  
More information available on the Government Website: [https://standwithverdis.vrdgov.org](https://standwithverdis.vrdgov.org)

Croatia and International Law Breaches