Vlade Divac charged for avoiding army service

[savafan]

http://www.jadransport.org/articles/2242.html

by JadranSport

It’s hard to imagine but Vlade Divac one of the best basketball players that Serbia offered in the past two decades is being charged by the Belgrade’s court because he avoided the obligated military service since he was 18 and now at the age of 37 he’s two years overdue the deadline for the citizens of Serbia & Montenegro who live abroad and that’s that they must serve the army by the age of 35.

So far there is no official reactions by the former L.A. Lakers and Sacramento Kings legend who retired last summer, but having in thought that he is also an American citizen there are a few options that he might do.

The first is to wait in USA until the Serbian-Montenegrin government rules a law by which their citizens living abroad can pay off their military service or simply issues an amnesty to thousands and thousands of young and elder men who aren’t coming back to their homeland in fear of being arrested. The other is to say his farewell to the Serbian citizenship and just keep the American passport with which he could return to his homeland without being obligated to ''pay his duty to the country''.

Seems like even the sport giants and nation heroes such as Divac aren’t spared of this dreadful duty either…

[Yachtzee]

If he's an American citizen, I always thought you were required to disavow your allegiance to any other sovereign (give up your citizenship to another country). I realize that a lot of famous people who become US citizens retain some sort fo citizenship in the home country, but isn't it usually a matter of the home country "regranting" citizenship or just pretending like the person didn't give it up in the first place and letting them hold on to their passport? I believe that the US technically doesn't allow dual citizenship, but in practice tolerates other countries allowing US citizens to retain some sort of citizenship.

If that's the case, Divac can tell Serbia to go pound salt.

[GIK]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1753.html

"U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship.

However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there.Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.Most countries permit a person to renounce or otherwise lose citizenship."

[RedFanAlways1966]

What a joke. (Not trying to get political) Good to see that Vlade was not in a military that commited crimes that included genocide and rape of other people in your country.

But wait.... he can $$$pay$$$ it off. Go figure.

[OldRightHander]

Originally Posted by Yachtzee

If he's an American citizen, I always thought you were required to disavow your allegiance to any other sovereign (give up your citizenship to another country).

Some countries allow dual citizenship.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by OldRightHander

Some countries allow dual citizenship.

Yes, that's true. And of course as GIK posted, apparently the US has a much broader recognition of dual citizenship than what I recall. Of course I wonder if this is a policy change from years past. I used to be more up on the issue 15 years ago during my studies in International Relations. IIRC there used to be stricter rules from the US standpoint on dual citizenship.

For example, I seem to remember that citizens who were naturalized as US citizens were required to take an oath that included giving up any rights of citizenship or allegiance to another country/foreign sovereign. I also remember that some of my friends who had held dual citizenship as children (being born in the US by parents of another country or born overseas to one US and one foreign citizen) were required to pick one country of citizenship at the age of 18.

For example, I had a friend who had US and German citizenship. He had to give up his German citizenship at 18. That's not to say that Germany couldn't still recognize his citizenship. It's just that legally, in the eyes of the US, he was a US citizen only and he wasn't allowed to do things like pick up a German passport or seek aid from the German embassy if he were arrested. I also had a friend who was marrying an Austrian and living in Salzburg. She was debating whether to seek Austrian citizenship and her biggest concern was that the US Consulate had told her she would have to surrender her US citizenship if she did. In fact, I think it was a plot device in the movie "French Kiss" as well.

I don't know. Maybe US policy was stricter back then because of the Cold War. I suppose in Vlade's case, they'll probably look at whether he has retained Serbian citizenship through conduct (paying taxes to Serbia, participating in elections, etc.).

[GIK]

FWIW, Yachtzee, my boss was born in Germany, moved to the US shortly thereafter and became a US citizen. He had to give up his German citizenship at 18 too (this was back in the 70's). I'm sure you're right as things must've changed.