Serbian Church eparchy protests arrests of worshippers in Kosovo

Police in Kosovo arrested worshippers during Vidovdan commemorations. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On June 30, 2026, Kosovo police arrested 37 people immediately after Vidovdan observances, reportedly using force during searches and identity checks. Among those detained were a teenage minor and his father, as well as a man wearing traditional Serbian attire. The incident was reported by Orthodoxia News Agency.

The Raška–Prizren Eparchy accused the Kosovo authorities of systematic discrimination against Serbs and called for an impartial investigation involving the OSCE and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). A court hearing for 36 of the detainees, all of whom deny any wrongdoing, has been scheduled for July 1, 2026.

In its statement, the eparchy described the authorities’ actions as unacceptable, noting that worshippers had deliberately refrained from displaying national symbols because of restrictions imposed in previous years.

“The Kosovo authorities protect the Serbian community only from displaying national symbols, treating them as symbols of hatred and intolerance,” the eparchy stated. Church representatives also questioned whether the Serbian people were being deprived of the right to remember their dead and gather with dignity on their ancestral land.

The Church emphasized that Gazimestan is not merely a memorial site but a place of prayer and spiritual heritage.

“Vidovdan is a threat to no one. It is not a call to hatred, but a day of remembrance, repentance, unity, and hope,” the statement said.

One of those affected confirmed allegations of police brutality, claiming that officers beat anyone who offered even minimal resistance during the searches.

The eparchy called on the international community not to limit itself to general statements about the rule of law, but to ensure that such principles are applied in practice.

“Human rights should not depend on the community to which a person belongs. We ask only for the most basic rights – the right to pray and to return home without fear of arrest or humiliation,” the Raška–Prizren Eparchy concluded.

As the UOJ reported, Patriarch Porfirije recently described Serbs killed during the 1992–1995 conflicts as “martyrs.”

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