“Vidovani” will not be held this year in Gazimestan

The Decani Monastery has announced that because of security in northern Kosovo, it has decided that Vidovdan's ceremony, which is June 28th, will not be held in the usual country, but in the Gracanica monastery.

A report has also been issued in this regard by the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, where, among other things, it is said, this decision has been made because, according to them, Kosovo police cannot provide conditions for security.

The alleged security concerns, the traditional Vidovdan memorial ceremony scheduled for June 28th, will not be held in its usual place. Instead, it will be held at the Gracanica Monastery”, Decani Monastery tweeted.

Taking into account the extremely difficult situation in Kosovo and Metohija, where our people are currently living in a state of security insecurity and sense a lack of basic rights and freedoms, especially after the recent series of arrests and abuses of detained Serbs, as the diocese bishop, with full shepherding responsibility, I have made the following decision:”

Vidovdan's “Cermonia, which has been traditionally kept in front of the monument of Kosovo heroes in Gazimestan, will be held this year at the Gracanica monastery, following the Divine liturgy on June 28th. We believe that this decision is the only responsible solution in a situation where we and the Serbian people as a whole are not confident that the normal security and conditions for keeping a memorial in Gazimestan can provide Kosovo police”.

They say they will also seek additional protection from KFOR.

“Diocese Race-Prizren will seek additional protection from KFOR during this year's celebrations. We stress that this is the first time, since the end of the 1999 armed conflict in Kosovo, making such a decision that only shows the weight of the security situation, but also our complete distrust in the current institutions in Pristina, which, unfortunately, have brought interethnic relations in Kosovo to the lowest level in the last 24 years”.