Eparchy files third criminal complaint against Xhufka for breaking into SPC church

The Raska–Prizren Eparchy announced today that it has filed a third complaint against Nikola Xhufka, a citizen of Albania who falsely presents himself as an Orthodox bishop and has once again broken the padlock on the 14th-century Church of Saint Archangel Michael. The Eparchy is appealing for the legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo to be addressed as soon as possible.

The complaint was submitted on June 30 to the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina by the Eparchy’s legal representative.

Two proceedings are already underway against him for the same criminal offense.

“He has once again broken the padlock on the Church of Saint Archangel Michael from the 14th century, and for the third time unlawfully occupied the church owned by the Raska–Prizren Eparchy, which he seeks to appropriate for his false organization,” the statement reads.

The Eparchy states that Nikola Xhufka falsely presents himself as a clergyman, even though he is not and is not recognized as such by any Orthodox Church, and that in Albania he is frequently criticized in the media for spreading hatred and intolerance.

“The Raska–Prizren Eparchy appeals to the international community to exert influence on Kosovo’s judicial authorities to finally show the basic minimum of effort and will for our protection—protection that is guaranteed to the Serbian Orthodox Church just as it is to any individual or other religious organization in this territory,” the statement adds.

The Eparchy points out that it is a fact that Nikola Xhufka, who undeniably spreads religious hatred, has been able to break into an SPC religious site three times without consequences—a site that is also a cultural monument—and appropriate it for his organization which, as they claim, does not legally exist. He also uses social media to target members of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the SPC as a whole, and for two years now, Kosovo authorities have done nothing to stop him.

The Eparchy adds that the Serbian Orthodox Church is fighting for the minimum respect of its rights, such as the use of religious symbols and the internal arrangement of its properties, noting that all of this indicates “serious and systemic shortcomings in the Kosovo legal system.”

“Considering that Kosovo’s institutions consistently demonstrate a lack of interest in respecting our rights—whether it is the minimum protection from such harassment or the restoration of all rights that were once guaranteed but have since been taken away—we call for the legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo to be addressed as soon as possible. It is now clear to everyone that the very survival of the Church in this region depends on resolving this issue and obtaining special and internationally guaranteed rights,” the Raska–Prizren Eparchy concluded in its statement.