Violation of the Special Protective Zone around the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Virgin of Hvosno Near Istok

UNAUTHORISED RELIGIOUS ACT ACCOMPANIED BY NATIONALIST MESSAGES OF DISCORD AND INTOLERANCE

At the archaeological site of the medieval Monastery of the Holy Virgin of Hvosno (Bogorodica Hvostanska), in the village of Studenica near Istok, within a lawfully established Special Protective Zone, on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, a public gathering with a religious act was held without the knowledge or consent of the SOC. This act represents a direct violation of the provisions of the Law on Special Protective Zones. During this act, a Catholic priest from Kosovo, Fr. Fran Kolaj, delivered a speech with overt nationalist messages, using inflammatory language that incites interethnic and interreligious hatred, with the clear intent of misrepresenting historically documented facts and appropriating the heritage of the Serbian Orthodox Church. (see transcript of the speech below).

The Diocese of Raška and Prizren strongly condemns this grave breach of the law as part of a series of ongoing provocations against the SOC and urgently calls upon international stakeholders to take an active role in safeguarding the vulnerable religious and cultural sites of the SOC, by providing reliable and enforceable international guarantees to the Church in view of the increasingly frequent violations of applicable legal norms and the lack of adequate responses by Kosovo institutions.

Historical Background

The medieval Monastery of the Holy Virgin of Hvosno was reconstructed on the foundations of an earlier basilica during the third decade of the 13th century. It was built in the distinctive architectural style of the Raška school, under ecclesiastical patronage following the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Hvosno in 1219, an episcopal see founded by Saint Sava. The monastery remained in continuous liturgical use by the Serbian Orthodox Church until the end of the 17th century, as evidenced by a wealth of preserved documentary sources and ecclesiastical artefacts. Subsequently, the monastery suffered damage during turbulent historical events, fell into disuse, and its building materials were gradually removed.

Today, only the remnants of the large medieval church, ancillary buildings, and fortifications remain. The site has been thoroughly researched by distinguished archaeologists over recent decades, with extensive documentation preserved. Numerous medieval inscriptions and documents from the 13th century onward attest to the spiritual and historical significance of this sacred site. As a cultural monument of exceptional importance, a Special Protective Zone with a radius of 100 metres was established around the remains of the Holy Virgin of Hvosno Church on 4 June 2008, along with more than forty other protective zones surrounding Serbian medieval churches and monasteries, pursuant to the Law on Special Protective Zones. Within this perimeter, no prohibited or restricted activities, including public gatherings, may take place without the prior consent of the SOC and the Implementation and Monitoring Council (IMC).

The Unauthorised Religious Act and Inflammatory Messages

According to publicly available evidence, including photographs and video recordings, a group of Kosovo Albanian individuals led by a Catholic priest from Kosovo, Fr. Fran Kolaj, conducted an unauthorised religious ceremony within the Special Protective Zone, at the archaeological location of the medieval Serbian Orthodox church, on 23 July 2025. During this act, Fr. Kolaj delivered a political speech with a distinctly nationalist content, advocating intolerance towards individuals who are not of ethnic Albanian or Roman Catholic background, specifically targeting Orthodox Serbs and Muslims. This is evident from the speech itself, in which, without any historical or legal basis, he referred to the historically well-documented Serbian Orthodox monastery as “ethnic Albanian and Illyrian”. The photographs show individuals who appear more like political followers than worshippers, which makes the entire act look like an open desecration of the sacred site. This incident also constitutes a grave misuse of religious office for political and nationalist purposes. It remains unknown whether this provocative misuse of a religious act and space was performed with the knowledge or permission of the Catholic Bishop of Kosovo.

It is important to note that a similar provocative act at the archaeological site of a Serbian Orthodox church in Novo Brdo, within a Special Protective Zone, was carried out in 2018, after which the SOC Patriarchate lodged a formal complaint with the Vatican, expressing profound concern over the misuse of religion in Kosovo to openly incite religious intolerance and discord, as well as the extremely provocative exploitation of archaeological sites and Special Protective Zones. (Roman Catholic Mass served on the grounds of the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Novo Brdo – Diocese of Raska-Prizren expresses serious disappointment and protest | Званична интернет презентација | Епархија Рашко-призренска српске православне цркве).

Challenges Facing the SOC in Kosovo

The SOC Diocese of Raška and Prizren emphasises that this incident is only the latest in a series of events indicating a concerning erosion of its rights and freedoms, which are either openly disregarded or arbitrarily interpreted. Numerous incidents have gone unanswered by Kosovo institutions or have been completely ignored. At the same time, open attacks in certain media outlets and on social networks targeting the SOC have created an atmosphere of complete impunity for unlawful acts directed against the Church and its heritage in Kosovo.

Regrettably, after two decades of persistent public defamation, historical revisionism accompanied by the promotion of provocative nationalist narratives, the continuous spread of hate speech against the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as violent intrusions into churches and frequent violations of the Law on Special Protective Zones, which were established primarily to safeguard the cultural and religious heritage of the SOC, such unlawful acts are now being committed with increasing frequency and without any legal consequences.

The Serbian Orthodox Church will thoroughly examine all available legal avenues to initiate proceedings against the perpetrators of this act, which may constitute a criminal offence, as well as for the violation of the Law on Special Protective Zones. However, due to years of institutional negligence and the selective enforcement of laws concerning violence against SOC properties, there is serious concern that this latest incident will likewise remain unsanctioned.

This deplorable event, like others in recent years that have increasingly encroached upon the guaranteed rights of the Church, demonstrates the extent to which the legal framework regulating the life of the SOC has been undermined. These events underscore the urgent need to strengthen the legal status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo in line with international initiatives, ensuring the continued presence and security of its clergy, monastics, and faithful, as well as the effective protection of its cultural and religious heritage under robust international guarantees.

Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren
Gračanica, 28 July 2025

The news about this event was published on the Drini.us portal as well as on Facebook: Pas pesëqind vitesh në Studenicë të Burimit (Istogut), u mbajt mesha e parë pranë themelit të Kishës së lashtë katolike…! – DRINI.us

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1By7eCT17n/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

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TRANSCRIPT OF FR. FRAN KOLAJ’S SPEECH
Delivered at the archaeological site of the Holy Virgin of Hvosno Monastery, within the Special Protective Zone, on 23 July 2025

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1By7eCT17n/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Fr. Fran Kolaj is currently serving as a Catholic priest at the Church of Saint Abraham in Lapushnik, in the municipality of Drenas/Glogovac. In 2015, he served at the Church of Saint Anthony in Glogjan near Peja/Peć, where he remained in service for two to three years.

 

English translation of the transcript:

“Any religion that undermines our national identity, any religion that denies our historical right and our historical monuments, is unacceptable for our Albanian people. The natural instinct of humanity desires to embellish and idealise life, to highlight the good aspects of one’s life, one’s values, and one’s artistic, aesthetic, and religious creativity as an expression of life and responsibility.

Dear compatriots, many of our cultural and religious monuments that once belonged to the Catholic Church were taken from us by two powers that were dark for us, the Ottoman Empire and the Serbian kingdom, which, together, through collaboration, seized our history and placed it in their own hands. Serbia, which at that time had a very strong influence within the Ottoman Empire, and today, together with President Erdogan, has but one aim, which is that the Albanian people should no longer be called Albanian. They may wish us to be called Catholic, Muslim, atheist, or whatever they like, but not Albanian, with the ultimate goal that this land should belong to Serbia.

However, we will respond to both Erdogan and Serbia just as we did in the last war. Although we were not prepared, we possessed a love for our homeland and the truth of our historical monuments and Albanian culture. We responded and we won the war, which for many was thought impossible, but in the end, on 10 June 1999, the Serbian forces were retreating towards Belgrade, while the Kosovo Liberation Army and all the other segments of Albanian society were marching into Pristina, accompanied by the applause, smiles and love of the people for our liberators.

Here with us, we also have Aleksander, the commander of Shala, one among many commanders. Compatriots, let us not be afraid to raise our voices for our identity, and let us not allow our identity to be called by another name that is not Albanian. We are Albanian today, we were Albanian yesterday, and we shall be Albanian tomorrow, scattered across many states, and tomorrow united in one state.

I invite all of you, with our positive forces, individually, as families, as society, institutionally, politically, militarily, and above all academically, to unite our efforts, for in the blood and suffering of our people, with that blood with which every span of our land has been watered, as the Gospel says, this land watered with blood, we must work it well to reap fruits a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold. Let us not be afraid, but together let us march towards the unification of our Albanian lands.”

Albanian original transcript:

“Cdo religjion qe e prek identitetin tone kombetar, cdo religjion qe e mohon te drejten tone historike, monumentet tona historike eshte i pa pranueshem per popullin tone shqiptar. Instinkti natyror i njeriut deshiron ta zbukuroj dhe ta idealizoj jeten per ti nxjerre ne pah anet e mira te jetes se tij, vlerat dhe krijimtarine e vet artistike, estetike dhe religjioze si shprehje jetesore dhe e pergjegjesise.

Te dashtun bashkeatdhetar, shume objekte tona kulturore edhe fetare qe i perkisnin kishes katolike, dy fuqi per ne te erreta, mbreteria otomane dhe mbreteria serbe, se bashku duke bashkpunuar na e morren historine ne duar te veta; Serbia me ndikim shume te fuqishem atehere ne mbreterine otomane, dhe sot me presidentin Erdogan e kan vetem nje qellim qe populli shqiptar te mos quhet shqiptar, te quhet si te doj, katolik, musliman, ateist, por jo shqiptar – me qellim qe kjo toke ti takoj Serbise.

Por ne do i pergjigjemi edhe Erdoganit edhe Serbise sic u pergjigjem me luften e fundit, edhe pse nuk ishim te pergaditur por e kishim dashurine per atedheun dhe te verteten historike te monumenteve dhe kultures shqipetare. Ju pergjigjem dhe fituam luften, per shume kend e pamundshme, por ne fund te fundit, me 10 qershor 1999 forcat serbe ishin drejt Beogradit, ndersa Ushtria Clirimtare e Kosoves dhe gjitha segmentet tjera te shoqerise shqiptare marshuan ne Prishtine, me duartorkitje, buzeqeshje dhe dashuri te popullit per clirimtaret tane. Ketu e kemi edhe Aleksandrin – komandat i Shales, nje nder komandantet e shumte. Bashkeatdhetar, mos te kemi frike te ngrisim zerin per identitetin, dhe mos te lejojme qe identiteti yne sot te quhet ndryshe e jo shqiptare. Por, ne jemi sot shqiptar, dje shqiptare dhe neser shqiptare te shperndare ne shume shtete, e neser te bashkuar ne nje shtet.

Ju ftoj te gjitheve, me forcat tona pozitive individuale, familjare, shoqerore, insitutcionale, politike, ushtarake e mbi te gjitha akademike,  qe ti bashjkojme forcat qe ne gjakun dhe ne vuajten e popullit tone, me ate gjak qe secila pellembe e tokes sone eshte ujitur, sic thote Ungjilli kjo toke e ujitur me gjak ne ta punojme mire qe te shijojme frytet 100 fish, e 60 fish, e 30 fish. Te mos kermi frike por se bashku te ecim drejt bashkimit trojeve tona shqiptare.”

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Legal References:

1. Law No. 03/L‑039 on Special Protective Zones (Kosovo, adopted on 20 February 2008; promulgated 4 June 2008) – Articles 1, 3(1), 4. Establishes the legal basis for Special Protective Zones, prohibiting unauthorised activities without prior SOC or Implementation Monitoring Council (IMC) consent.
2. Law No. 06/L‑074, Criminal Code of Kosovo – The public incitement and spreading of ethnic and religious hatred and discord are criminalised under Article 141.
3. Kosovo Constitution (15 June 2008) – Guarantees supremacy of international human rights treaties (Article 19), protection of communities and cultural/religious heritage (Chapter III, Articles 22, 62; Article 9).
4. Law on Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Communities and their Members (Kosovo) – Protects the cultural, religious, and linguistic identity of minorities.
5. National Strategy for Cultural Heritage 2017–2027 (adopted 30 December 2016) – Provides strategic policy framework linking heritage protection with sustainable development and references the 7 October 2015 letter from Kosovo leadership to UNESCO National Delegations reaffirming commitments to safeguard religious and cultural heritage under Annex V of the Comprehensive Status Proposal, including the provision: “The Serbian Orthodox Church will remain the sole Christian Orthodox organisation in the territory of Kosovo, enjoying full legal persona, granted by the new Draft Law on Religion that was drafted with guidance from experts of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.“
6. Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities – Incorporated into Kosovo’s constitutional framework, obliging Kosovo to protect national, ethnic, religious and linguistic communities.
7. European Convention on Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Directly applicable under the Constitution; guarantees religious freedom, assembly, and nondiscrimination.
8. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) – Underpinned UNMIK’s responsibilities to protect religious and cultural heritage in Kosovo. UNSCR Resolution 1244 serves as the foundational legal mandate for KFOR to ensure a safe and secure environment in Kosovo while providing the status-neutral framework under which EULEX operates to support rule-of-law institutions, facilitating their complementary and coordinated roles in the region.
9. The Ahtisaari Comprehensive Proposal, known as the Ahtisaari Plan, constitutes the constitutional and political basis for the protection of non-majority communities and cultural heritage in Kosovo, and it continues to serve as a key point of reference for the interpretation and application of the legal system. It is particularly significant with regard to the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church (e.g., Special Protective Zones under Annex V) and the Serbian community, while also ensuring alignment with international obligations established under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and EU standards.