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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbian government expects immediate release of Bishop Jovan of Ohrid

Belgrade, 28 July 2005

Head of the Office of Media Relations Srdjan Djuric has said that the arrest of Bishop Jovan of Ohrid is absolutely unacceptable and he expressed the hope that the Macedonian authorities will release him immediately for the sake of good Serbian-Macedonian relations.

Djuric told the Tanjug news agency that the Serbian government still believes that the arrest is a mistake that will promptly be corrected and that the Macedonian authorities will find a legal solution that will enable Bishop Jovan’s immediate release.

He said that it is absolutely incomprehensible and unacceptable to send people to jail for professing their faith. The taking of Bishop Jovan to prison is in absolute contradiction of the principles of contemporary Europe, said Djuric and added that all of Europe and all civilised countries have long abandoned all forms of persecution of people for their religious beliefs.

“We believe, for the sake of good relations between Serbia and Macedonia, that this problem will be resolved in the nearest future”, said Djuric.

Bishop Jovan of the Ohrid Diocese was taken to the Idrizovo jail near Skopje on Tuesday, where he is due to serve an 18-month sentence given to him by the Bitolj court for “spreading religious, racial, and ethnic hatred, divisions, and intolerance”, after the unrecognised “Macedonian Orthodox Church” defrocked him and banned him from holding services in churches in Macedonia.