Croatia is obliged to pay €196 million to Lanelia Holdings Ltd for attempting to hand over private property to Ukrainian officials

A Croatian judge, Mladjan Prvan, along with police, facilitated the entry of Ukrainian officials who were trying to seize a privately owned yacht. This action violated Croatia’s Constitution and European legal standards, as the officials accessed and attempted to confiscate the property without a court order. This is reported by Rijeka Danas.

In late February 2024, representatives from Lanelia Holdings Ltd, international lawyers, Split maritime police, a Ukrainian delegation and Judge Mladjan Prvan arrived at Trogir port to inspect the yacht. Despite objections and a ban on videorecording, Ukrainian officials boarded the yacht. Legal representatives sought clarification on the authority of the Ukrainian officials abroad, the purpose of the inspection, and its legal basis. However, they received no satisfactory answers. It’s noteworthy that Ukrainian officials lack authority abroad, and since March 2022, fundamental rights in Ukraine have been restricted due to a state of war.

After several threats, Judge Mladjan Prvan demanded access to the yacht, ultimately forcing the captain to comply. This incident was reported as a violation of sovereignty, where foreign authorities acted within Croatian territory. Such actions outside Ukraine are considered a sovereignty breach and abuse of power.

Following the violation, Lanelia Holdings Ltd filed a complaint with Croatia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the actions of the Trogir police, seeking an investigation and accountability for exceeding their authority. On March 4, 2024, an application was submitted to the Commercial Court of Split to increase claims by €160 million, reflecting the value of the yacht when acquired by Lanelia Holdings Ltd. The total amount of damages that Croatia is obligated to compensate amounts to €196 million.