Diocese of Raska-Prizren: The Position of the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo is becoming increasingly difficult

The Diocese of Raska-Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church stated today that the position of the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) in Kosovo has become increasingly difficult and has deteriorated significantly as a result of the conduct of Kosovo's institutions. The Diocese particularly pointed to violations of rights by the Kosovo Police and warned that, if the current situation continues without an international response, it could ultimately lead to the complete disappearance of the Serbian population from the area.

"After a long period of restraint, numerous discussions with international representatives, and persistent efforts to resolve existing problems peacefully, directly and in a spirit of goodwill, the Diocese of Raska-Prizren feels a pastoral and moral obligation to publicly draw attention to the increasingly difficult position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, a position that has been significantly aggravated by the conduct of Kosovo's institutions toward the Serbian community," the statement reads.

The Diocese particularly highlighted what it described as violations of the rights of the Church and its faithful by the Kosovo Police, arguing that the police are carrying out activities directed against members of the Serbian community and the Serbian Orthodox Church. According to the statement, the Serbian population increasingly no longer perceives the Kosovo Police as an institution tasked with protecting and assisting all citizens equally, but rather as a direct instrument of pressure aimed at making life more difficult for the Serbian people and the Church.

"With profound regret, we must state that relations between the Serbian community and our Church on the one hand, and Kosovo's institutions on the other—particularly trust in the Kosovo Police—have never been at such a low level throughout the entire post-war period," the Diocese stated.

It stressed that this assessment is not based on a single isolated incident but rather on a prolonged pattern of actions that cannot reasonably be explained as individual mistakes and which, according to the Diocese, are increasingly taking on the characteristics of systematic discrimination.

"Although we regularly refrain from making stronger public assessments, it is our profound conviction that, if this situation continues without an international response, it may ultimately lead to the complete disappearance of the Serbian people from this area," the Diocese warned.

The statement further notes that recent international reports have also pointed to deteriorating relations with the Serbian community, low levels of public confidence in institutions, highly provocative and aggressive conduct by the Kosovo Police, and measures that restrict access to essential public services and undermine the implementation of legal mechanisms designed to protect the rights of the Serbian community and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Diocese stated that, by its very nature and declared multi-ethnic mandate, the Kosovo Police should serve all citizens equally, protect the most vulnerable, and contribute to building trust among communities.

While emphasizing that it does not wish to unfairly blame individual police officers who seek to perform their duties professionally, the Diocese stressed that the work of an institution must be judged not by exceptions but by its overall conduct and by whether the most vulnerable communities perceive it as a source of protection or as a source of intimidation.

According to the statement, for a growing number of Serbs the Kosovo Police no longer represents a bridge of trust but is increasingly viewed as an instrument of pressure, selective enforcement and systematic intimidation.

The Diocese also pointed to the recent commemoration of Vidovdan at Gazimestan on 28 June as demonstrating the depth of this lack of confidence.

It recalled that a total of 37 Serbs, including one minor, were detained, while 36 remained in custody following the peaceful conclusion of the memorial service, despite the Kosovo Police itself having stated that no incidents had occurred that endangered the gathering.

"The public has not been presented with any evidence that those detained used force against police officers or any other individuals. According to available information, proceedings were initiated primarily because of the singing of patriotic songs and other expressions of Serbian identity, all of which are permitted under the Constitution and laws for every community, including the Serbian community. In practice, however, such expressions are prosecuted and punished when displayed by Serbs, while being tolerated when displayed by Kosovo Albanians," the Diocese stated.

The statement further recalled that documented testimonies had emerged describing degrading searches, the arrogant use of police force, obstruction of journalists in performing their duties and, of particular concern, serious and degrading mistreatment of some of those detained, prompting the Ombudsperson Institution to launch proceedings into the matter.

The Diocese also expressed concern that abuses allegedly committed by the Kosovo Police received little attention in the Albanian public sphere, while Serbs were collectively portrayed as disturbers of the peace despite the absence of any recorded incidents involving violence or material damage.
According to the statement, legal experts have concluded that the judicial proceedings against those charged were marked by numerous procedural irregularities, failed to respect the rights of the accused, and appeared designed to ensure that those detained would be punished as swiftly and severely as possible. The Diocese argued that this conveyed the message that Serbs cannot celebrate Vidovdan peacefully and that only Serbs are denied the freedom to display their national symbols.

The Diocese added that, to its knowledge, international reports documenting these alleged abuses by the Kosovo Police have already been submitted in both Geneva and New York.

The Diocese stressed that the Serbian Orthodox Church does not seek for anyone to be above the law and has never condoned incitement to hatred, violence, or actions endangering others. Rather, it has consistently advocated peaceful coexistence and freedom for all, irrespective of ethnic origin.

"However, laws must be applied fairly, without prejudice and on the basis of verifiable evidence," the Diocese stated.

It emphasized that singing, prayer, traditional dress, national symbols or the peaceful expression of one's identity cannot, in and of themselves, be treated as security threats.

"When members of one community are subjected to drastic measures that are not applied to others under comparable circumstances, the issue is no longer merely one of public order, but of equality before the law and protection against discrimination," the statement reads.

The Diocese further argued that security cannot be measured solely by the absence of serious crimes, kidnappings or large-scale violent attacks. In its view, a community cannot be regarded as genuinely secure if its members live in constant fear of arrest, searches, administrative penalties, entry bans, various forms of harassment and humiliation, or are unable to use their schools, healthcare institutions and places of worship.

"The gradual deterioration of everyday life may be less visible than overt violence, but its ultimate consequences are equally grave, leading to the emigration of people and the irreversible disappearance of an entire community under continuous and systematic pressure," the Diocese warned.
The statement also expressed particular concern over what it described as the ineffective implementation of the Law on Special Protective Zones, stressing that this legislation is not a political recommendation but a legally binding mechanism established to ensure the peaceful life and functioning of the Serbian Orthodox Church and to protect its religious sites, particularly from actions by Kosovo's institutions.

According to the Diocese, over the past year there have been serious violations of Special Protective Zones surrounding the Hermitage of St. Peter of Korisa, the Monastery of the Virgin of Hvosno, and the Special Protective Zone around Gracanica Monastery, without the legally prescribed procedures being observed or enforced.

"The absence of a timely and decisive response from the competent institutions calls into question the very purpose of the law and reinforces the perception that the rights of the Church may be ignored with impunity. There are more than justified fears that, in the absence of functioning protection mechanisms, Kosovo's institutions may forcibly assume control over the Special Protective Zones and act in precisely the manner these zones were created to prevent. By ignoring or deliberately misinterpreting their own laws, they violate the rights of the Church and thereby undermine its ability to survive in Kosovo," the Diocese warned.

The statement further noted that numerous attacks, break-ins, thefts and acts of desecration targeting Serbian Orthodox churches have, almost as a rule, failed to result in effective police investigations or judicial action.

The Diocese also criticised what it described as a dangerous practice by the Kosovo Police, which has been highlighted in international reports, of classifying attacks against the Serbian Orthodox Church merely as property damage or vandalism in order, according to the Diocese, to conceal the extent of interreligious and interethnic violence that it believes continues to exist and to be tolerated in Kosovo.
Particular concern was expressed over the case of the Church of St. Archangel Michael in Rakitnica, which was broken into twice.

According to the Diocese, representatives of the Diocese, accompanied on both occasions by representatives of EULEX, attempted to report the first break-in, but the police allegedly refused to register the complaint or conduct an investigation.

"Moreover, in the most recent case, when Diocese officials reported the burglary allegedly committed by Nikola Xhufka, an Albanian citizen who led these break-ins, the police threatened Diocese representatives and even questioned them on suspicion of committing the very offence they had reported against the alleged perpetrator.

At the same time, Nikola Xhufka moves freely throughout Kosovo while falsely presenting himself as the 'Archbishop' of a canonically and legally non-existent church. He has publicly boasted about breaking into a church belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church and has openly asserted claims over SOC churches and monasteries. He is regularly promoted in the media and has even been received by Kosovo mayors, while the criminal complaint filed against him by the Diocese has been effectively ignored.

When perpetrators of criminal offences are allowed to act with impunity, and the police and courts fail to take the actions required by law, a dangerous atmosphere of impunity is created, one that particularly harms the most vulnerable communities," the Diocese stated.

The Diocese further asserted that, twenty-seven years after the conflict, dozens of Serbs continue to be arrested throughout Kosovo on allegations of involvement in war crimes, often on the basis of what it described as insufficiently substantiated evidence, despite the fact that many had lived peacefully for nearly three decades without their responsibility ever having been questioned.

According to the statement, the methods used to gather evidence, the heavy reliance on witness testimony and the conduct of judicial proceedings do not provide sufficient guarantees of a fair trial. It noted that these concerns have also been documented in a recent report by the OSCE.
The Diocese also recalled the case of Father Fotije Kostovski, a monk of the Diocese, who, according to the statement, was expelled from Kosovo by the police three years ago without any explanation.

"No explanation was provided even to representatives of EULEX and the OSCE. This creates a dangerous precedent and clearly demonstrates the intentions of the Kosovo Police," the Diocese stated.