Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
August 21, 2002

COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTRY FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA CONCERNING THE CONFISCATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE VISOKI DECANI MONASTERY

The Ministry for Religious Affairs of the Republic of Serbia strongly condemns the attempt of the Municipal Court at Decani to seize the property of Imperial Monastery of Visoki Decani.

Up to 1946 the Visoki Decani Monastery had possessed more than 800ha of land, as well as other valuables. Everything was confiscated that year, without any compensation. In 1997, out of the entire mentioned property of the Monastery, the Government of the Republic of Serbia returned to the Monastery two smaller plots of land with the accompanying constructions by concluding an agreement on presenting the Monastery with a gift.

The decision made by the Municipal Court at Decani at the beginning of August, 2002, annulling that return of property to the Monastery is not only contrary to the law and order of the Republic of Serbia and to the Resolution 1244 of the UN General Assembly, but is also opposite to universal principles of fairness and morality, and as such it is void and cannot be applied.

In addition, the decision was obviously made for religious and ethnic discrimination.

Therefore, the Ministry for Religious Affairs is of the opinion that UNMIK must revoke this decision.

The Ministry for Religious Affairs would like to point out that the described attempt of usurping the property of the Monastery is an additional proof of the necessity for enacting a law on the return and compensation of unfairly confiscated property in Serbia.