On the eve of Vidovdan, one of the most important Christian holidays, Pristina has leveled accusations of possible incidents supported by Belgrade during the commemorations at Gazimestan, which the Office for Kosovo and Metohija interpreted as “an open threat of violence against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.”
Kosovo Police, meanwhile, announced operational measures and urged everyone to avoid provocations. The EU Office in Kosovo has called for “maximum restraint,” while the leader of the Serbian Democracy party called for a peaceful and tension-free holiday.
The Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful will tomorrow mark one of the most significant Christian religious dates, which is also among the key milestones in Serbian history, including modern times. Vidovdan is traditionally observed with liturgies and a memorial service to the Kosovo heroes at Gazimestan, attended every year by hundreds of believers from Kosovo, central Serbia, the wider region, and beyond.
However, on the eve of this holiday — today — Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti warned of potential incidents and accused official Belgrade of trying to divert attention from tomorrow’s large anti-government protest in the Serbian capital.
Kurti claimed the Serbian government might use “destructive elements to incite incidents at Gazimestan,” further alleging that groups of Serbs from the region had been organized to attend, groups which in the past “were provocative, carrying Serb-Russian nationalist symbols contrary to Kosovo’s constitution.”
He called on Kosovo Serbs to respect the law, and on Albanians not to “fall for provocations.”
The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petković, described Kurti’s statements as “an open threat of violence against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija on Vidovdan,” and as an attempt to “use absurd and unfounded accusations against Belgrade and the Serbian people to create an alibi for his own repressive plans he intends to implement tomorrow.”
“For Kurti, Gazimestan has always been a hunting ground for persecuting and harassing Serbs, for baseless arrests of our compatriots, and now he is already announcing violence in advance, of which he is the sole creator and mastermind in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Petković.
He added he was convinced that “all honorable Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija will not fall for Kurti’s provocations.”
Arsenijević: No tensions
The leader of the Serbian Democracy party, Aleksandar Arsenijević — who is currently wanted by Kosovo authorities over the recent discovery of a large quantity of weapons on his property, which he insists was planted — also spoke today about possible provocations during the holiday.
Prior to these events, after the court in Pristina annulled the Gracanica municipality’s decision to display Serbian flags and symbols for Vidovdan, Arsenijević had announced that he would “see you at Gazimestan for Vidovdan with my national symbols.”
Today, he urged citizens not to allow themselves to be provoked, “as that is probably the very plan for escalation.”
“I call on all citizens going to Gazimestan tomorrow to mark the Battle of Kosovo anniversary to spend the holiday in peace and without any tensions,” he stated in a Facebook post.
EU: Maximum restraint
The EU Office in Kosovo today issued a similar appeal, KosovaPress reported.
“The EU in Kosovo calls on all parties to show maximum restraint in order to allow for peaceful commemorations,” they said.
In a statement for KosovaPress, the EU Office also commented on the recent decision of the Basic Court in Gracanica regarding the display of the Serbian flag during these celebrations.
The Basic Court found that Gracanica municipality’s decision to display the Serbian flag on the occasion of Vidovdan seriously undermined the unitary and constitutional character of the Republic of Kosovo.
The EU Office stated that this court ruling does not fully guarantee the constitutional rights of Kosovo Serbs. According to their statement, the issue falls within the administrative competences of the Gračanica municipality.
“Regarding the Vidovdan commemorations, the EU in Kosovo calls on all involved parties to exercise maximum restraint, so that the holiday can pass peacefully. As for the display of the Serbian flag, we are aware of the recent decision of the Basic Court in Gracanica, which has been appealed. In our view, that decision does not fully guarantee the constitutional rights of Kosovo Serbs. In our assessment, this is a matter within the administrative jurisdiction of the Gracanica municipality. We do not encourage broader interpretations of this ruling by Kosovo institutions in ways that might endanger the cultural or religious rights of individuals or of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), which are guaranteed by the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo,” the EU Office told KosovaPress.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
