Nazi Salute Conviction Overturned: Symbol of Croatian Pride, Not Nazi Ideology

The 3 men who performed the salute, all of Croatian descent, did not know each other and were seated in different areas of the stadium.

Members of the National Socialist Network perform Nazi salutes during a protest rally in Melbourne, Australia, on June 4 2023. MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty Images

A conviction for a Nazi salute has been overturned after a judge determined the gesture was not a nod to Nazi Germany but a symbol of Croatian national pride.

The individuals, initially convicted for making the salute, were released after the court accepted that their actions were linked to their Croatian heritage, not to any extremist ideology.