Pristina Fines Serbs From Gazimestan 700 Euros Each
A Pristina court fined 36 people 700 euros each over their detention on Vidovdan near the Gazimestan monument, and ordered expulsion from Kosovo for those without documents.
- A Pristina court on July 1 fined 36 people 700 euros each over their detention on Vidovdan near the Gazimestan monument.
- Those without documents issued by Pristina's provisional institutions were expelled from Kosovo, and some were handed a three-year entry ban.
- The charge is a misdemeanour of disturbing public order, allegedly chanting a slogan and raising three fingers, while the defence says there is no evidence at all.
- Petar Petkovic, head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, urged Brussels and international missions to react.
The Basic Court in Pristina on Tuesday, July 1, fined 36 people 700 euros each after they were detained on Vidovdan, June 28, near the Gazimestan monument. The ruling was handed down for a misdemeanour of disturbing public order, and those who did not hold documents issued by Pristina’s provisional institutions were also ordered expelled from the territory of Kosovo.
According to the court, some of the accused received a three-year ban on entering Kosovo alongside the fine. Police detained 37 people on the holiday itself, one was fined immediately, while the remaining 36 were processed without being held in custody. The charge rests on the alleged chanting of the slogan “Kosovo is Serbia” and the raising of three fingers before the monument to Kosovo’s fallen heroes.
What the accused are charged with, and what the defence says
The prosecution relies on a misdemeanour that Pristina regulations classify as disturbing public order and breaching the peace. All of the accused pleaded not guilty. Defence lawyer Nikola Todorovic said the prosecution presented no material evidence to support claims that those gathered caused any disturbance, arguing that this was a peaceful marking of a religious and historical holiday.
Vidovdan and Gazimestan carry exceptional symbolic weight for the Serb community, and gatherings at the site have taken place for decades. A ruling that imposes fines and expulsion for the very act of arriving to mark the holiday raises the question of where misdemeanour prosecution ends and the restriction of freedom of assembly and religious expression begins. For some of those detained, expulsion effectively means they will be unable to reach a place they consider sacred for years to come.
How did Belgrade react, and what is expected from Brussels?
Petar Petkovic, head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, reacted sharply to the detentions and the ruling. Petkovic said that people who came only to mark the holiday and light a candle had been detained, and he called on Brussels, the international missions on the ground and the Quint countries to respond. Belgrade argues that the conduct of Pristina’s institutions amounts to pressure on the Serb community and endangers basic rights guaranteed by the Brussels Agreement.
The verdict comes at a moment when the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is already burdened by a string of open issues, from the status of the dinar in the north to the formation of the Association of Serb Municipalities. Every new prosecution of members of the Serb community further complicates the atmosphere ahead of a resumption of talks under the auspices of the European Union. It remains to be seen whether the international actors Belgrade has appealed to will answer this case with a public stance or with silence.
The defence has announced it will use every legal remedy, including an appeal against the fines and measures. Whether a higher court in Pristina will uphold or overturn the ruling will become clear in the coming days. And how do you view treating a visit to Gazimestan on Vidovdan as a misdemeanour of disturbing public order?
