Antonijevic: Abuses of authority by Kosovo Police must be condemned and EU-facilitated dialogue continued

Serbia’s Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijevic, said that all institutions in Serbia must clearly condemn any abuse of authority by the Kosovo Police, the searching of worshippers and pressure on members of the Serbian community in Kosovo, stressing that the protection of their human rights, freedom of religion and security must be a priority.

In a post on the social media platform X, Antonijevic said that the rights and security of Serbs in Kosovo must be protected.

“All institutions in Serbia must clearly condemn every abuse of authority by the Kosovo Police, the searching of worshippers and the continued pressure on members of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. The protection of their human rights, freedom of religion and security must be a priority,” Antonijevic said.

He added that, at the same time, the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina under the auspices of the European Union was of crucial importance.

“The continuation of the dialogue facilitated by the European Union, under the auspices of EU Special Representative Peter Sorensen, is of crucial importance for resolving outstanding issues and improving the position of all communities,” Antonijevic stated.

The Commissioner’s reaction followed events over the weekend at the Monastery of the Holy Archangels near Prizren, where an increased presence of the Kosovo Police was recorded at the entrance to the monastery complex during celebrations of the monastery’s patron saint’s day. Police officers searched worshippers, including women’s bags, while even children’s pushchairs were subjected to inspection.

On Vidovdan, Serbs attending the commemoration at Gazimestan were also searched by the police. Following the memorial service, dozens of Serbs were arrested.