Antonijevic: The ban on the entry of Patriarch Porfirije into Kosovo is a violation of religious freedom

Milan Antonijevic, a jurist, says that the very decision of the Kosovo authorities to prohibit the departure of Serbian Patriarch Porfirije to the Patriarchate of Pec is contrary to human rights and violates religious freedom.

In his statement for Kosovo Online, Antonijevic added that "he had written about this before and that he would not waste any more words on freedom of movement and non-compliance with the Brussels Agreement by Pristina".

"I would also not waste words on freedom of movement as the basis for the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, but Belgrade's decision to make concessions and recently recognize Kosovo ID cards, especially when you look at the agreements within the Berlin process, is clearly not appreciated enough in Pristina. I expect that those, who mediated in the Brussels dialogue and during the Berlin process guarantee the freedom of movement for everyone, will direct all their energy towards guaranteeing that freedom to the highest representatives of the SOC," Antonijevic said.

He added that conditioning the Serbian patriarch's visit to Kosovo "with any stance on barricades is additionally absurd and says more that everything is aimed at raising tensions that do not suit anyone, except the extremists".