The four Croatian couples, who were released by a Zambian court on Monday, were detained again by the authorities and taken away from the airport in Ndola. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not yet know the reason for such a decision by the Zambian authorities.
The eight Croats were detained just before boarding the plane at the airport in Ndola, Vinko Ljubičić, head of the administration for consular affairs at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained to the Croatian portal Index. He explained that all they know for now is that Croatian citizens have been given 48 hours to leave the country, their passports have been returned and they are about to board. “Then an employee from the migration office appeared and told them she couldn’t let them go. They kept them there. We don’t know what happened next,” explained Ljubičić.
He pointed out that they will try to get the information through diplomatic channels, adding that they have never had a similar consular case.
Zambian authorities arrested eight Croats on December 7 at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola with four allegedly adopted children.
The National Prosecutor’s Office charged them with the crime of attempted child trafficking and falsification of documents, and the court in Ndola dismissed the charges on Monday. Adopted children who had Croatian documents were taken away from them by the Zambian social services upon arrest. Even Croatian diplomats have not had access to them so far.
Source: Rtvslo
