|
Serbia: Controversial archbishop starts hunger strike
 (AKI) - A controversial Serbian Orthodox prelate, Archbishop Filaret, on Tuesday went on hunger strike after he was banned for the fourth time by Montenegro's authorities from entering the country. He is reportedly on a list of 44 individuals alleged to be helping fugitives accused by UN's Hague-based war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Filaret, whose Mileseva diocese covers southwest Serbia and a part of northern Montenegro, was to hold religious rites in the Montenegrin town of Pljevlja, but was stopped at a border crossing by Montenegro police. The archbishop's earlier attempts to cross to Montenegro, where his diocese has some 70,000 believers, have also been blocked. Filaret rejected the accusations that he has assisted war crimes indictees, saying he didnt know where the main fugitives, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his general Ratko Mladic were hiding, claiming that Montenegro was violating his human and religious rights. Karadzic and Mladic are among five remaining fugitives accused by the UN tribunal of war crimes and genocide against Muslims during Bosnias 1992-1995 civil war. "I dont know where they are, but they are in my heart because Im a Christian, Filaret told Serbian media. Montenegro's authorities claim they are acting on instructions from the UN tribunal and wont allow the archbishop to enter the country as long as hes on the list. "Shame on you, I didnt come here to hold political speeches, but to pray with my people, Filaret yelled at a cordon of Montenegro policemen who blocked his entry. He then camped at a border crossing, saying he was beginning a hunger strike and would take only water and medicine, until his rights were restored. Posted by: Fred 2007-08-29 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=197454 |