Sonja Popović, the spokesperson for the DPS and a member of the Montenegrin parliament, announced that “the events of recent days, in which war criminals and Chetnik thugs were celebrated,” require an urgent reaction from the competent authorities and called on the Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković to investigate whether the actions of Metropolitan Metodije (Ostojić) “met the elements of a criminal offense from Article 370 of the Criminal Code – inciting national, racial, and religious hatred.”
Popović additionally called on the prosecutor’s office to re-examine the circumstances regarding the alleged singing of the anthem of another country at a public gathering, as well as all actions related to the erection of the monument in the village of Gornje Zaostro near Berane, including the issues of its production, delivery, and installation.
Such requests from the ranks of the DPS open up the old issue of the continuity of political targeting of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. We remind you that it was precisely during the rule of this party that the controversial Law on Freedom of Religion (2019) was passed, which caused the most massive peaceful litanies in the country’s recent history and led to tensions due to attempts to dispose of church property. Then as now, the focus is on labeling church dignitaries and believers, with the aim of drawing spiritual topics into daily political conflicts.
From a legal standpoint, Article 370 of the Criminal Code sanctions behaviors that unequivocally incite hatred or call for violence on a national, racial, or religious basis. For such an act, clear evidence of intent and consequence is necessary, and regular pastoral messages, liturgical gatherings, and calls for peace cannot be arbitrarily criminalized. Otherwise, there is a risk that criminal law will become an instrument of political pressure, which is inconsistent with the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of religion and assembly.
Metropolitan Metodije, known for his messages of calmness and dialogue, has repeatedly emphasized the need for respect for the law, peace, and the dignity of every person in his public addresses. To place him in the context of “inciting hatred” without strong and concrete evidence means to relativize both the law and the facts, and to abandon the public space to political noise instead of institutional seriousness.
Regarding the topic of the monument in Gornje Zaostro and the alleged singing of the anthem of another country, these are matters for the competent administrative and security services—who was the organizer, what permits were issued, whether there were any violations. But to shift responsibility to the Church and the metropolitan, without showing their participation in any illegal actions, represents the politicization of the process and an attack on the religious freedoms of a large part of the citizens.
Therefore, it is important for the prosecutor’s office to act with a cool head and independently, to clearly separate facts from political qualifications, and to apply the law equally to everyone. Social peace and the democratic order in Montenegro are not built by a new round of pressure on the SOC, but by consistent respect for the law, dialogue, and respect for the religious feelings of the citizens. Within this framework, Metropolitan Metodije deserves fair treatment—and the public deserves clear answers, without prejudice and political labels.
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Source: Politika, Photo; TV Hram