GOUILLON: THE ISSUE OF CONFISCATING SERBIAN PROPERTY REQUIRES SERIOUS ATTENTION FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

BELGRADE, JANUARY 20 /SRNA/ - Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy Arnaud Gouillon warned that the case of registering two Orthodox cemeteries, a chapel, and other property of the Serbian Orthodox Church /SOC/ in Mostar as property of the so-called "state" requires serious attention from domestic institutions as well as from the international community, given that respect for property and religious rights is one of the fundamental European standards.

"This is a serious cause for concern, but unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident," Gouillon told SRNA. Gouillon pointed out that this is a continuation of a process he had often warned about back when he headed the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region. He noted that in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/, a so-called harmonization of land registries and the cadastre has been underway for years, which in itself would not be problematic if it were conducted transparently, fairly, and with full respect for the rights of rightful owners. "However, in practice it often happens that, in the absence of the owners or due to insufficient information, property that for decades, and even centuries, belonged to Serbs or to the Serbian Orthodox Church is transferred to the ownership of the state, a canton, or a municipality," Gouillon warned. According to him, particularly problematic is the fact that notifications to holders of property rights are not delivered personally, but are instead published in official gazettes and certain daily newspapers, which a large number of Serbs living in the Diaspora cannot access at all. Gouillon recalled that in 1991, more than 540,000 Serbs lived in the FBiH, while according to the latest official census from 2013, only 56,000 remained. He added that, according to the most recent estimates of the Federal Institute of Statistics and relevant analyses, that number has since declined further and now stands at around 36,000. "At the same time, it is estimated that around 400,000 Serbs worldwide claim ownership rights to real estate in the FBiH. Under such circumstances, property is easily lost not due to a legal basis, but as a result of administrative procedures, inadequate notification, and the objective inability of displaced owners to respond on time," Gouillon said. According to him, what is particularly concerning is the fact that in this specific case, the property in question belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church, including cemeteries and chapels. "These are sites of profound spiritual, cultural, and identity significance. Property that belonged to Serbs before the war, and that survived even during the armed conflict, must not be lost in peacetime under the guise of administrative processes," Gouillon said. He assessed that the case in Mostar is a clear signal that this problem persists and requires serious attention from domestic institutions and the international community. "Respect for property and religious rights is one of the fundamental European standards and must not be applied selectively. Only the consistent application of the law, equal for all peoples and religious communities, can contribute to genuine reconciliation and stability in BiH," Gouillon said. The Municipal Court in Mostar registered the “state” as the owner of the Orthodox cemetery in the Vrapčići neighborhood, the rightful owner of which is the Serbian Orthodox Church parish. By a decision of the same court, the same was done with a chapel and another Orthodox cemetery located on a separate parcel.