What lies behind Pristina's attempts to criminalize the Serbian Orthodox Church?

Over the past 25 years, more than 150 churches and religious sites have been desecrated or destroyed in Kosovo. Efforts to erase Serbian heritage have continued through historical revisionism and the appropriation of these sites as part of Albanian cultural heritage. Recently, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) has faced a new wave of attacks – criminalization, analysts speaking to Kosovo Online warn. While the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren emphasizes that such accusations incite religious and ethnic hatred, experts argue that these efforts not only pave the way for the persecution of Serbs but also aim to seize church and monastic properties.

Written by Petar Rosic

The first accusations of this kind against the SOC came from British MP Alicia Kearns, who claimed in July 2023 that smuggled weapons from Serbia were being “stored” in churches in Kosovo.

Although the UK Foreign Office distanced itself from her statement and KFOR declared there was no evidence to support the claim, Pristina’s authorities were undeterred, creating a narrative about the “terrorist SOC.”

Albanian politicians and analysts quickly followed suit, repeating such allegations in the media and on social platforms. Most recently, Selim Pacolli, an official from the “New Kosovo Alliance” party and former mayor of Pristina, accused the SOC of being the main organizer of violence against Albanians, even calling for the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo.

Equally dangerous remarks came from Gurakuc Kuci of the “Octopus Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies.” Speaking on TV Klan last week, he reiterated claims that weapons were hidden in Serbian Orthodox churches.

The Eparchy of Raska and Prizren responded strongly to these allegations. First, it issued a statement warning that spreading false information about the SOC promotes religious and ethnic hatred, and then filed a formal lawsuit.

“It is crucial to see whether such behavior will be appropriately sanctioned or if, as has often been the case, the absence of punishment, or the imposition of unacceptably mild penalties, will serve as tacit approval for further incitement of hatred and the creation of an environment conducive to new crimes against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church,” the Eparchy stated, calling on international actors to react and closely monitor the actions of Kosovo’s institutions, particularly its judiciary.

Historian Aleksandar Rakovic agrees that these accusations are aimed at continuing the persecution of Serbs. He tells Kosovo Online that by targeting the SOC, the cornerstone of the Serbian community, Pristina seeks to achieve its plan for an ethnically pure Kosovo, warning that the attacks will persist.

“They will not stop because this is a way to pressure Serbs to leave, to make their lives insecure. The Serbian Orthodox Church remains the cornerstone of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. Such unbearable living conditions, according to Albanian thinking, should push Serbs to leave Kosovo and Metohija as quickly as possible, so that it basically turns into an ethnically pure Albanian territory,” he said.

Rakovic says that the SOC, along with the Serbian people, must remain patient and wait for a potentially better opportunity that could happen with the return of Donald Trump to power.

He notes that Europe has the capacity to do much to stop these attacks, but that the question is whether it is willing to do so.

“The international community is fundamentally part of the problem. They bombed our country and occupied Kosovo and Metohija. Their ongoing goal is to ensure that the Serbian people never find peace and that Serbian statehood is never fully restored in Kosovo and Metohija. Their aim is clear. Our goal, however, is to wait for a new geopolitical shift, which we hope will come with Trump, and to address our national issues within that context,” the historian explained.

His colleague Aleksandar Gudzic also believes the attacks will continue. He points out that Pristina’s government uses every opportunity to attack the Serbian Orthodox Church, searching for enemies where none exist.

He emphasizes for Kosovo Online that since the Middle Ages, the SOC has represented a harmonious balance of secular and spiritual authority.

“When the Church operated under states and governments not led by Serbian political elites, it served as a leader of the Serbian people and never engaged in terrorist actions under any circumstances. At times, SOC leaders did head uprisings, but these were rebellions aimed at improving the lives of the Serbian people within specific states,” the historian elaborated.
He adds that accusing the Serbian Orthodox Church today of financing terrorism is a "classic deflection of issues" for electoral purposes.

“This is not rooted in truth, but the current government in Pristina calculates that such claims will boost their political ratings and ultimately result in more votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Gudzic assessed.

He notes that international institutions can and should respond to these attacks.

“Above all, I am referring to the leading countries of Western Europe and the United States, as they are the main sponsors of Kosovo’s statehood and independence. I believe they can do a great deal to restrain the regime in Pristina,” Gudzic said.

Historian Luka Jovanovic observes that since Albin Kurti came to power, there has been an aggressive campaign against the SOC in Kosovo, specifically targeting the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren.

"Pristina has tried in various ways to challenge the presence of the SOC in Kosovo and Metohija, to seize its cultural landmarks and religious sites. This broader action against the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is paralleled by actions targeting the SOC," Jovanovic said for Kosovo Online.

He notes that Pristina has demonstrated its intentions on several occasions, though the international community has prevented their full implementation.

"The only way to remove the SOC from Kosovo and Metohija is to portray it as a terrorist organization – as one promoting rebellion and disobedience toward the central authorities in Pristina as well as the international community. This is part of a broader campaign to depict the entire Serbian people and political leaders in Kosovo as terrorist leaders, and the church as a mechanism funding such extremist endeavors," Jovanovic explained.

He adds that Pristina seeks to portray the SOC as belligerent and terrorist to claim monastic and church land, citing the case of the Visoki Decani Monastery as evidence.

"Visoki Decani has only been granted 20 hectares, despite having the right to reclaim several hundred hectares of land, both around the monastery and throughout Kosovo," he said.

Jovanovic warns that it must not be forgotten that Visoki Decani is not the only Serbian monastery that held vast estates until 1945–1946, and many other churches and monasteries are entitled to significant land restitution in Kosovo.

"We have seen an aggressive campaign over just 20 hectares for Visoki Decani. Imagine the kind of extreme campaigns that would arise if the issue of every monastic forest, field, and property were addressed. It must be remembered that a large number of Serbs, historically and currently, have donated their properties to the SOC, much of which was confiscated in 1945. Since then – neither in 1999, 2004, 2008, nor to this day – has that land been returned to the monasteries. This is part of a much larger narrative involving monastic wealth, land, and conflict with Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija," Jovanovic stated.

He emphasizes that the SOC’s only protector, and by extension the Serbian people in Kosovo, can be the international community, which has repeatedly committed to such obligations through international agreements.

According to him, international representatives, especially KFOR forces, maintain active contacts with abbots of many monasteries as well as with Bishop Teodosije of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren.

"This offers hope. I always like to highlight the positive role of the Italian KFOR contingent, which has often defended Serbian holy sites, particularly the Visoki Decani Monastery, which remains under threat according to all reports by international organizations," the historian said.

He clarifies that KFOR cannot act preventively but, as expected of a military force, can only intervene when a site is in immediate danger.

"Unfortunately, everything seems to be heading in that direction, and I believe the international community must be ready to act at any moment to protect SOC sites, clergy, monks, nuns, and all other members of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren," Jovanovic concluded.