Members of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts (SANU), professors and journalists sent a protest statement “over attacks against the Serbian Orthodox Church and Raska-Prizren Eparchy,” Serbian media reported.

“The public in Serbia is appalled by unscrupulous attacks of the Serbian authorities and Srpska Lista, political party from Kosovo and Metohija against political opponents. Media persecution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Teodosije and Raska-Prizren Eparchy was launched only because they oppose an idea on Kosovo division between Serbia and future Great Albania. Serbian authorities and Srpska Lista, it is clear now since the masks have fallen, pledge for the division of Kosovo and surrender of the entire Metohija to the Great Albania,” their press statement said.

“(…) Leaders of Srpska Lista claim in the Belgrade media they speak on behalf of entire Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija, and that their latest wrongdoings have majority support from the Kosovo and Metohija Serbs. It would mean that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija turned against their own church, their history and their state. Thanks God, this is not the true,” a statement signed by 53 intellectuals added.

Signatories of the statement included Dr. Smilja Avramov, Archimandrite Andrej, Dr. Slobodan Antonic, retired Bishop of Zahumlje-Hercegovina Eparchy Atanasije, permanent members of SANU Danilo Basta, Kosta Cavoski, Matija Beckovic, political analyst and MP Djordje Vukadinovic, President of Serb National Forum Aleksandar Djikic, Slobodan Samardzic former Serbian Minister for Kosovo and Metohija, Momcilo Trajkovic and many others, Serbian media reported.