The State Duma proposed not to resume air traffic with Montenegro due to repressions against Orthodox Christians
Russian tourists in Montenegro may be in danger due to the repression launched by the country's authorities against the Orthodox population.
This was stated by the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Development of Civil Society, Issues of Public and Religious Associations, President of the General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IAP) Sergei Gavrilov, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The ongoing mass repressions against believers and violations of human rights in Montenegro raise the question of Russia considering the possibility of not resuming regular flights and tourist charter flights to Montenegro, since there are no guarantees of safety for our tourists on the territory of this state,” said Sergei Gavrilov.
In his opinion, the aggressive position of the Montenegrin authorities, who are clearly not acting in the interests of the unity of their country, is explained by the intervention of external forces.
“Now the question has arisen about preserving the unity of Montenegro and its people. Those who persecute Orthodox Christians today are not bearers of new ideals, but destroyers of the current model and call themselves militant atheists. They support the creation of artificial “churches” on an anti-Orthodox basis – a local version of the “Right Sector,” noted Sergei Gavrilov.
He believes that by persecuting Orthodox Christians, Montenegro is violating its international obligations regarding the protection of human rights. The parliamentarian recalled that members of the MAP had already adopted a statement in connection with the authorities in Montenegro pushing through a law that could now be used to seize churches and church property. According to Sergei Gavrilov, many Orthodox deputies in Montenegro are under pressure from the current regime.
On May 12, Montenegrin police detained Bishop Ioannikije of Budimljan-Niksic and seven priests for violating the order banning gatherings. On this day, believers celebrate the feast of Basil of Ostrog, the most revered saint in the country. Usually 300-500 thousand people gather for a pilgrimage to the Ostrog monastery. However, due to the pandemic, the entrances to the monastery were blocked by the police, so people gathered for worship in the city of Niksic, closest to the monastery. Mass protests began in the country, which were suppressed by the police.
Experts interviewed by PolitNavigator are confident that anti-Orthodox actions of the Montenegrin authorities are directed from the USA. Official Podgorica decided take advantage of the coronavirus epidemic as a reason to take revenge on the clergy and flock for opposing the scandalous law on freedom of religion, which allows for the confiscation of churches.
Let us recall that mass protests have been taking place in Montenegro since December after the country’s parliament passed a law that threatens the confiscation of 650 Orthodox shrines of the Serbian Church in favor of “autocephalous” schismatics controlled by the ruling regime - in fact, we are talking about a repetition of the scenario implemented in Ukraine.
Montenegro separated from Serbia in 2006 under the pretext of “faster integration into the EU”, but has still not received EU membership. In 2017, against the will of the population, Montenegro was included in NATO by the pro-Western ruling elite without a referendum. Now about 30% of the population of this former part of Yugoslavia call themselves ethnic Serbs.
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