On July 1, the Basic Court is expected to issue its decision on those detained in Gazimestan

The defendants accused of “causing unrest and endangering public order and peace” pleaded not guilty before the Basic Court in Prishtina, while the decision in their case is scheduled to be announced on July 1.

In Gazimestan, near Prishtina, during the marking of Vidovdan on June 28, the Kosovo Police detained 37 people, justifying the action with the claim that they “provoked the crowd by chanting provocative slogans containing elements that incite hatred.”

One of them was fined, while the other 36 were sent to court proceedings, but were not held in pretrial detention.

Lawyer Nikolla Todoroviq said that the accused had their personal identification documents confiscated and added that most of those detained are Serbs from Serbia and from countries in the region.

“There are quite a few foreign nationals who cannot return to their homes, and people are in difficulty. They have to wait for the announcement of the decision,” he said.

Every June 28, Serbs from Kosovo, Serbia and countries in the region traditionally gather in Gazimestan to commemorate the Battle of Kosovo, namely the clash against the Ottomans in 1389.

At the entrance to Gazimestan, visitors were handed a notice by the Kosovo Police stating that the “possession and display of various symbols that represent or incite interethnic, religious or political hatred” would not be tolerated.

Some of those present chanted “Kosovo is Serbia” and sang songs dedicated to Kosovo and Vidovdan.

The Diocese of Raška and Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church said that it does not justify and will never justify any call for hatred, violence or the disruption of public order, but stressed that “folk songs, remembrance of ancestors, traditional dress and the peaceful expression of religious and national identity cannot, in themselves, be treated as a threat to public order.”

The Church also expressed concern over claims that some of those detained had faced “physical and psychological mistreatment, slaps, blows, insults, threats, humiliation, as well as claims that they were asked to chant ‘Kosova Republikë’ under threat of being beaten.”

“These claims must be seriously investigated and verified. Even more concerning are the allegations that part of the traditional clothing of one of the detainees was desecrated and that some people were provided medical assistance,” the statement said.

Radio Free Europe has not been able to independently confirm the claims of physical and psychological mistreatment of the detainees. RFE sent questions to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate to find out whether there were any complaints against the police during the marking of Vidovdan in Gazimestan and whether any investigation had been opened, but so far it has not received a response from the institution.

Gazimestan in Kosovo is also known for the speech delivered there in 1989 by the then Serbian leader, Slobodan Milošević.

This speech is often cited as a prelude to the armed conflicts that followed the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia condemned the detentions during the marking of Vidovdan in Gazimestan, describing them as “a shameful and unworthy act of repression.”

Srpska Lista, the main party of Serbs in Kosovo backed by Belgrade, also said it views the detentions as an attempt at intimidation and as evidence of “the repression of the regime in Prishtina,” adding that the international community has been informed about the case. / RFE