ANNOUNCEMENT

On website of the Helsinki Committee on Human Rights, there is "APPEAL to Condemn Jeopardizing of Peace in Montenegro and in the Region by Belgrade", published on December 30th, 2019.

In the very first sentence of the said international Appeal, it is stated: "State Montenegro is exposed to an attempt of forceful destabilization: peace, territorial integrity, constitutional order, rule of law, equality of the citizens and equal rights of churches and religious communities are jeopardized. (...) Therefore the attacks of great-Serbian nationalists against the Law on Religious Communities, which is cause for new coup d'etat attempt", and in Appeal it is alleged that the official Belgrade is a strategist, patron, logistician and commander of a new attempt to destabilize Montenegro, that "Monuments" of such politics of official Belgrade are "GENOCIDE", "ethnic cleansing" etc, so that all signatories to the said Appeal invite political stakeholders in the international community and region to unambiguously condemn destabilization of Montenegro and region, created and encouraged by the official Belgrade.

By the said Law, as broadcasted by media, the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church was not ravished, noting that it was one more manipulation and lie.

Also the State Top of the Montenegro perpetually perpetually claim that the said law does not ravish property of the church.

This invocation, titled "Appeal 88" for unclear reasons, was signed until now signed by 136. well-known persons from Serbia and abroad.

Because of the lack of democracy, i. e. well-timed information and confrontment, in situation where during last days media were occupied by "Malča's Berber" /criminal case/, everyday life of dais celebrities etc., the space for presenting proof for and against was lost, so it is no surprise if experts and others cannot understand what is this all about.

As far as we are aware, the LAW ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEFS AND LEGAL STATUS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES was adopted on December 27th, 2019, on the early morning at 2:30 AM, after all opposition MPs were arrested and under huge police presence. The Law was promulgated by the Decree of December 30th, 2019, and it entered into force on orthodox Christmas, January 8th, 2020.

If we understood well, the key provisions of the said law are:

    1. Since January 8th, 2020 The Serbian Orthodox Church (hereinafter termed as: SPC) has no status of as LEGAL PERSON any longer, the status it had for 800 years.
    2. By losing the status as legal person, the SPC also loses the right to have current and other accounts, the right to disposes of the registered real property etc.
    3. It is true that no provision of the said law sets forth that the SPC is dispossessed of real estate in Montenegro, however there is a provision in the law, that binds governmental bodies to register all the property in possession of the SPC as the property of Montenegro starting from January 8th, 2020, and to inform afterwards its previous users.
    4. Bearing in mind that since January 8th, 2020 the SPC lost status of legal person, it stays controversial: would it, being deprived of the property and without legal subjectivity and with no means, be able to initiate and lead longtime proceedings against the State of Montenegro, in order to prove its rights over real estate etc.? By way of forceful nationalization through a simple reclassification/transcription, the field of the activity of the SPC is being narrowed down, thus creating basis to assimilate Serbian people of Montenegro.
    5. By the way, although the Constitution of Montenegro prohibits the discrimination on any grounds whatsoever, this law discriminates the SPC against other traditional religious communities: Roman-catholic, Islamic and Jewish community in Montenegro, because the Government of Montenegro concluded concluded the concordats with the latter during 2011 and 2012, which have supremacy over the said and other laws

Fund for the Development of the Democracy