Vidovdan memorial service due to the serious security situation this year will be held in the Gracanica Monastery

The Vidovdan memorial service, which had traditionally been held in front of the monument to Kosovo's heroes in Gazimestan for many years, would be held in the Gracanica Monastery this year, due to the seriousness of the current security situation, the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren announced.

"Given the very difficult situation in Kosovo and Metohija, where our people currently live in security uncertainty and a complete sense of the absence of basic rights and freedoms, and especially after the latest series of arrests and abuse of the arrested Serbs, as the competent archbishop, with full pastoral responsibility, we have brought the next decision. The Vidovdan memorial service, which has traditionally been held in front of the monument to Kosovo heroes in Gazimestan for many years, will this year be held in the Gracanica Monastery, after the Holy Liturgy on June 28. We believe that this decision is the only responsible solution in a situation in which we and the Serbs as a whole do not have basic confidence that the Kosovo Police can provide security and normal conditions for holding the memorial service in Gazimestan at the moment," the Eparchy said in a statement.

The Eparchy of Raska and Prizren will request additional protection from KFOR during this year's celebration.

"We emphasize that this is the first time, since the end of the armed conflict in Kosovo and Metohija in 1999, that such a decision has been made, which only shows the current seriousness of the situation, but also our complete distrust in the existing institutions in Pristina, which, unfortunately, brought inter-ethnic relations in Kosovo and Metohija to the lowest level in the last 24 years," the statement added.