There is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that he has petitioned the court for the commencement HOWEVER until anyone is formally and legally served with a summons (or equivalent), no one is a defendant. There is currently nothing to defend.
This is essentially the same as making a police report, right? Croatian law allows a citizen to make this complaint directly to the court instead of the police. The court then makes a determination whether or not a crime occurred with evidence which makes it worth prosecuting, like the police normally do.
Lloyd going on about “defendants” is akin to your neighbour calling you a defendant because your dog shit on his lawn and he called the police and insisted on “pressing charges”. It’s a civil case not a criminal one and not even a good one at that.
Suppose this even went to the “commencement” phase. I know it won’t but let’s imagine it did. I’m sure the relevant embassies (US/UK/Aus) would be VERY interested that a municipal court in Sisak is criminally charging their nationals under Croatian law for “offences” that allegedly occurred under US/UK/Aus jurisdiction. I would imagine they’d take this up with their counterparts in the Croatian Foreign Ministry and wonder how a municipal court in Sisak has this kind of power.
This case is so weak and insane that I’d imagine the Croatian government would take measures to shut this case down and have it dismissed should a judge be foolish enough to serve parties overseas.
I believe there is a solid reason why Karlo Novosel’s office refused to answer emails and return phone calls and this is the reason.