ABBOT LUKA: CROSSES PULLED OUT, SERB, NOT BOSNIAK CEMETERY DESECRATED

SREBRENICA, JANUARY 21 /SRNA/ - The abbot of the Karno monastery near Srebrenica, Luka Babić, has told SRNA that in the place of Kraljeva voda /Kragljivode/ Serb graves were desecrated, not Bosniak’s as the federal media reported, which aim is to seize that Serb cemetery.

"It's another repetition of Bosniak lies and accusations against me and the Karno monastery... They present untruths on various sides, attacking the Serbian Orthodox Church, the monastery and me in order to blame us and mislead the public, thus steal that cemetery," Abbot Luke pointed out. Abbot Luka denied the reporting of the federal media and the claims of Srebrenica Imam Damir Pestalić that the Bosniak cemetery in Kraljeva voda was desecrated, clarifying that three crosses were stolen from that cemetery last night. "The true is that three crosses placed yesterday were stolen last night from that cemetery, including flowers and candles that family members returned to that cemetery after many years, where a group of Serbs from Karno who were killed by local Schutzkorps, occupier’s servants, were buried in 1914," says the abbot of Karno monastery. He explained that the problem surrounding this cemetery began in 2011 when Muslims took the Serb symbols to Tuzla. At the request of family members, the abbot says, a Bosniak returned the cross of Petar Đurić, who was shot in 1914, while the crosses of Ilija Jovanović and Mitro Jeftić were also placed. He pointed out that the graves of those martyrs were desecrated last night what he informed the police about, who conducted an investigation today, as well as members of the Austrian LOT team, whose office is located in Bratunac. The abbot added that the families placed crosses. He then served a memorial service for those Serb martyrs, but the crosses, flowers and the remains of candles disappeared last night. He claims that "Serb graves were destroyed by Bosniaks in order to usurp that land", stating that in 2011, when he came to this monastery, there was only one Muslim grave in that cemetery. The Bosniaks’ intent was to seize that Serb cemetery and turn it into the Muslim one, even though they do not have any document that it is their property. "The police have been informed about this theft and we expect a reaction. The families are going to once again place the crosses of their killed ancestors in the place where their bones rest, in the cemetery on Kraljeva voda", pointed out Abbot Luka. He mentioned that Bosniak attacks on him have been going on since his arrival and that this has been the case continuously.