Serbian cemetery in Orahovac desecrated

On the local Orthodox cemetery in Orahovac, at least five wooden crosses have been broken, as confirmed by Kosovo Online.

The desecration of Orthodox symbols in the cemetery was discovered by the residents of Orahovac who visited the graveyard yesterday, on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day.

One of them, who also notified the police, stated that he had found at least five broken crosses, including the one belonging to his closest relative.

"Some of the residents went to the cemetery as a tradition before the celebration of Saint Nicholas and found broken crosses. These crosses have been broken not for the first time, but family members have been repairing and reinstalling them in the hope that they will no longer be broken. Unfortunately, the breaking repeats, causing disturbance not only to the families but also to all Serbs in Orahovac", one of the residents said.

The Kosovo Police reported that this incident had been reported on December 18, and police officers determined that five wooden crosses had been broken, initiating an investigation.

As Kosovo Online learns, Italian KFOR members were present in Orahovac today due to this case.

The last case of desecration of Orthodox symbols in the Serbian cemetery in Orahovac was recorded on August 28.

For security reasons, the Serbs have not been buried in the Serbian cemetery in Orahovac from 1998 to 2014, instead, burials were performed in the churchyard.

When space ran out, they had to bury their deceased relatives again in the old cemetery, although almost all the tombstones on it had been desecrated.