Radakovic on ban of Serbian flag for Vidovdan: Why isn’t the Albanian flag banned at public gatherings in Kosovo?

Dusan Radakovic, Executive Director of the Centre for Advocacy of Democratic Culture, criticized the recent decision of the Basic Court in Pristina to ban the display of Serbian flags and national symbols during the Vidovdan celebration. He described the ruling as a political decision made under pressure from political activists and the ruling party, questioning why the Albanian flag continues to be displayed freely at gatherings in Kosovo.

In a statement for Kosovo Online, Radakovic remarked that the ruling stems from events initiated over a year ago, when the Municipality of Gracanica proposed the use of Serbian flags during the Vidovdan celebration.

“The court, in my view, misinterpreted and politicized the entire situation. Nowhere is the use of a national flag forbidden. How is it that the Albanian flag is used at public events across Kosovo and is never banned? Vidovdan has been celebrated for centuries—since 1389—at Gazimestan. And now, suddenly, due to ongoing political developments surrounding the Assembly and the general situation in Kosovo, the court has issued a ruling banning Serbian flags. This raises the possibility that people could even be arrested for carrying a Serbian flag on that day, whether at Gazimestan or any other celebration in Kosovo,” Radakovic said.

He stressed that the entire matter is highly politicized and expressed confidence that the decision will ultimately be overturned, noting that the use of a national flag cannot be prohibited in one’s own country.

“I can freely say that the court’s decision is a political one—clearly made under pressure from political activists and the ruling party in Kosovo,” Radakovic concluded.

As a reminder, the Basic Court in Pristina ruled that the decision made by the Municipality of Gracanica in June of last year—to mark and celebrate Vidovdan using Serbian flags and national symbols—constituted an “overstepping of legally defined competences.”

According to the Court’s interpretation, such a decision “seriously undermines the unitary and constitutional character of Kosovo,” and “poses a serious threat to public order and interethnic coexistence, potentially provoking interethnic tensions.”