Raska-Prizren Diocese: Irresponsible statement by Kosovo Police, no one was detained inside the seminary

The Raska-Prizren Diocese issued a statement regarding the detention of 16 individuals in Kosovo, among whom 12 had spent the previous night in the guest section of the Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prizren. The Diocese emphasized that no one was detained inside the Seminary, nor did the Kosovo Police enter the premises of this church-school institution.

The statement notes that all guests of the Seminary were pilgrims who had legally entered the territory of Kosovo to participate in religious services and celebrations. The Church, they say, cannot have complete insight into all visitors, as they arrive in accordance with the laws and under the supervision of the competent authorities.

"Several Serbs who spent the previous night at the Seminary, among whom, according to our information, only two individuals are suspected by the Kosovo authorities of alleged illegal activities, were not personally known to the clergy and the Seminary administration. Like other pilgrims, they stayed overnight before today's liturgy at the Cathedral Church in Prizren and were detained in the city outside the Seminary complex," the statement stressed.

The Diocese rejected as "completely irresponsible" the claims made in the Kosovo Police statement that the Seminary was allegedly used for "camouflage or inciting interethnic and religious tensions." They emphasized that such insinuations are not based on facts and infringe upon religious freedoms.

The Raska-Prizren Diocese called for restraint in public statements and for respect of holy sites, stressing that religious institutions remain open to all believers and pilgrims who come with the intention to peacefully practice their faith.