The Banjska Monastery, located in northern Kosovo, will be closed to visitors from Monday, September 23, to Thursday, September 26, 2024, the Raška-Prizren Eparchy announced today. The decision was made for security reasons, according to the statement.
“The Raška-Prizren Eparchy informs the public that the Monastery of Saint Archdeacon and Protomartyr Stephen in Banjska will be closed to visitors on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (September 23–26) for security reasons and to preserve peace, which the monastery urgently needs at this moment,” the Eparchy’s statement read.
Anniversary of the Banjska Incident
The closure coincides with the one-year anniversary of a violent conflict in Banjska, where the monastery is situated.
On the night between September 23 and 24, 2023, a clash erupted, leading to the death of a Kosovo police sergeant, followed by a multi-hour gunfight in which three attackers were killed, several wounded and arrested.
All involved were later identified as residents of northern Kosovo. Authorities seized millions of euros’ worth of weapons and military equipment from the scene.
The Banjska Monastery itself became a focal point during the events of September 24, 2023, when a group of armed, uniformed Serbs stormed the monastery, breaking through the gates of the complex.
Milan Radoičić, then the vice president of Srpska Lista, the largest political party representing Kosovo Serbs, took responsibility for orchestrating the attack.
Only at the beginning of September 2024 did the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office file charges related to the Banjska incident, accusing 44 individuals, including Radoičić, who is officially named as the leader of the group.
Many of the accused face charges of terrorism and serious criminal offenses „against the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.“
The indictment alleges that the group intended to use violence and heavy weaponry to separate northern Kosovo from the rest of the country.
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