BIRN: Prosecutor's Office to Investigate Gathering at Liturgy on April 7 in Srebrenica

SARAJEVO – The District Prosecutor's Office in Bijeljina will investigate whether a criminal offense was committed due to the mass gathering at a liturgy in the memorial church of “Saint Great Martyr Lazar of Serbia and All Serbian New Martyrs” in Srebrenica, held on April 7 this year, confirmed for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH) the spokesperson of this prosecutor's office, Danka Prodanović.

"The Prosecutor's Office has not received a report regarding this event, but we inform you that the Prosecutor's Office will ex officio investigate the existence of elements of a criminal offense in this specific case, as well as the criminal responsibility of persons who were present at the mentioned event," said Prodanović.

On the Facebook page of the Karno Srebrenica monastery, on April 7, photographs were published showing the celebration of the holy liturgy in the memorial church of “Saint Great Martyr Lazar of Serbia and All Serbian New Martyrs,” which was built “in memory of the suffering of members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Republika Srpska.”

In some of the photographs from the monastery's website, those gathered do not maintain the distance that is mandatory as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Former mayor of Srebrenica Ćamil Duraković posted on his Twitter profile a video of a lunch that he claims was made after the liturgy, showing a large group of people during the meal. In this footage, the current mayor of the municipality, Milan Grujičić, is visible. He did not respond to calls and messages from BIRN BiH journalists during the day.

The Zvornik Police Department, in response to a query from BIRN BiH, states that gatherings in religious facilities are allowed.

„It is a fact that the conclusion of the Republican Headquarters for Emergency Situations banned public gatherings in Republika Srpska, however, the premises of a religious facility do not constitute a public area because they are objects owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church. We remind that the Republican Headquarters for Emergency Situations, on March 21, 2020, adopted a Conclusion on limiting gatherings in religious facilities, by which local self-government units in Republika Srpska are tasked with monitoring the implementation of this Conclusion in cooperation with church authorities of recognized churches and religious communities," said Miljan Bobar, inspector-spokesperson of the Zvornik Police Department, for BIRN BiH.

The conclusions of the Republican Headquarters for Emergency Situations state that church authorities of recognized churches and religious communities are recommended to adapt their worship services and other religious acts to measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.