ShakeSonnen (R-OR)
06-16-2010, 09:29 PM
Croatian heavyweight star Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic says he was questioned for six hours by Canadian authorities on his arrival in Vancouver for last Saturday's UFC 115.
Filipovic, a former member of a Croatian anti-terrorism police unit and elected politician, said immigration officials asked him about his military service in the early '90s and whether he had any information about possible war crimes and human rights violations.
"The first day I was kept for four hours and two more the next day. Although they were not satisfied with my answers they let me go to the hotel in the city, to sleep," the mixed martial arts fighter told Croatian website www.Net.hr, according to Fighters Only magazine.
"They asked me to think about the questions raised. I was threatened with deportation, but appealed to the Croatian embassy. The consul was urgently flown in from Ottawa, and the UFC hired the best lawyer for immigration issues. ... The inquiry was painful for me, but I must say that the Immigration Bureau officials very correctly performed their job. They used what they have to, but they are obviously very interested in the military and police matters from the former Yugoslavia."
Filipovic defeated American Pat Barry at UFC 115.
Filipovic, a former member of a Croatian anti-terrorism police unit and elected politician, said immigration officials asked him about his military service in the early '90s and whether he had any information about possible war crimes and human rights violations.
"The first day I was kept for four hours and two more the next day. Although they were not satisfied with my answers they let me go to the hotel in the city, to sleep," the mixed martial arts fighter told Croatian website www.Net.hr, according to Fighters Only magazine.
"They asked me to think about the questions raised. I was threatened with deportation, but appealed to the Croatian embassy. The consul was urgently flown in from Ottawa, and the UFC hired the best lawyer for immigration issues. ... The inquiry was painful for me, but I must say that the Immigration Bureau officials very correctly performed their job. They used what they have to, but they are obviously very interested in the military and police matters from the former Yugoslavia."
Filipovic defeated American Pat Barry at UFC 115.