During the ceremonial military parade in Zagreb commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, held on July 31, 2025, at 5 PM on Vukovar Street and gathering more than 3,400 members of the Armed Forces, Croatian veterans, police, and other services, it was announced that former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has been released on conditional freedom.
Sanader was sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison for multiple corruption scandals (Fimi Media, Planinska, Ina-MOL) and had served more than ten years in Lipovica Penitentiary. The decision for conditional release was made by the County Court in Sisak after it was determined that he met all legal requirements, including serving a sufficient part of his sentence and demonstrating good behavior during imprisonment. Moreover, his legal team waited for the completion of all final court proceedings before submitting the request for conditional release.
The decision to grant freedom was confirmed by the court and Sanader’s lawyer, Dragan Crnković, while the judiciary in Sisak stated that the matter was considered on Thursday, July 31, 2025. The formal release from prison is expected within a few days, once the ruling becomes final.
At the same time, the parade in Zagreb was one of the most spectacular to date, featuring over 500 military vehicles, a flyover by Rafale fighter jets, and programs on land, in the air, and on the water, marking an essential date in Croatian history and military tradition.
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