The KFOR mission in Kosovo announced that it is verifying the allegations of Alicia Cairns, a member of the British Parliament accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of smuggling weapons from Serbia to Orthodox churches in Kosovo, writes the Pristina portal Reporteri.net today.
"We are checking the facts and will give a comprehensive answer in the shortest possible time," KFOR said briefly to Pristina media.
Security institutions of Kosovo responsible for the rule of law
The NATO mission in Kosovo KFOR announced that there is no evidence of arms smuggling from Serbia to Kosovo and the use of Orthodox churches for their storage.
They emphasize that the event mentioned by Cairns refers to the year 2022, when the Royal Fusiliers Battalion was engaged in the north of Kosovo in support of the KFOR mission.
"The alleged illegal presence of weapons was reported to KFOR headquarters, but after further investigations to confirm this, no evidence was found for what was reported," they said.
KFOR further states that Kosovo's security institutions are responsible for the rule of law.
"This type of activity belongs to the rule of law and is under the jurisdiction of Kosovo's security organizations," KFOR said in a response to the media.
Another 22 criminal charges against Serbs
In the meantime, tensions in the north of Kosovo are not calming down, and the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo filed 22 more criminal charges against Serbs, which expanded the previous list of 45 people, and the leaders of the Serbian List, Goran Rakić, Igor Simić and Dragiša Milović, are on the new list. , write today's "Večernje novosti", citing unofficial information.
Along with the list of all 22 names, the newspaper states that the reports are being filed because of the riots that took place on May 29 and the protests in Zvečan.
According to "Večernje novosti", they are accused of endangering persons under international protection and participating in hooliganism and attacks on officials.
The severest ecclesiastical punishments or apologies
The Eparchy of Raska-Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) asked the KFOR mission this evening to immediately verify the accusations brought against the SPC for involvement in arms smuggling in Kosovo.
That diocese stated in a statement that it insists that the accusations of British MP Alicia Cairns, published in the media, be urgently checked and that it is asking Kfor, with which the British unit was attached, to inform the public if it can confirm those allegations.
In the statement, she added that she was asking for it "because it is impossible for British KFOR soldiers to have this information without communicating it to their superior structures in the command."
"If these allegations prove to be true, church persons who are proven to be possibly involved in the abuse of SPC facilities and church services for the alleged transfer or storage of weapons, will suffer the most severe church punishments and will not be able to continue their public service," it is written in announcement.
That diocese stated in a statement that it insists that the accusations of British MP Alicia Cairns, published in the media, be urgently checked and that it is asking Kfor, with which the British unit was attached, to inform the public if it can confirm those allegations.
In the statement, she added that she was asking for it "because it is impossible for British KFOR soldiers to have this information without communicating it to their superior structures in the command."
"If these allegations prove to be true, church persons who are proven to be possibly involved in the abuse of SPC facilities and church services for the alleged transfer or storage of weapons, will suffer the most severe church punishments and will not be able to continue their public service," it is written in announcement.
ZS/Reporteri.net/FoNet
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