Serbian Orthodox Church

Protesters clash with police during a protest against the enthronement of Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Joanikije in Cetinje, Montenegro on September 5. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

During the session of the parliamentary security and defence council, Abazovic called on the Special State Prosecutor to investigate the organisers of the protests.

The Cetinje Monastery in the old royal capital of Montenegro. Photo: Shutterstock

Montenegrin PM Zdravko Krivokapic and Deputy PM Dritan Abazovic at a police training camp. Photo: Government of Montenegro

With four seats in parliament, Abramovic's civic Black on the White coalition is the smallest member of the 41-member ruling coalition, which has a majority of one in the 81-seat chamber.

She believes that it is important to resolve the situation with respect for the canonical rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its believers.

Demonstrators clash with police officers in Cetinje, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

"In the command chain, we will investigate every act by each individual who provided or did not provide support. That will be done in the next seven days and the public will be informed," Krivokapic told a press conference.

The investigation will establish details and facts about security threats during the enthronement of Metropolitan Joanikije in Cetinje, Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic said today, adding that a major security threat to the SPC leader was real, which the patriarch confirmed with his statement.

According to Montenegrin media, they refused to transport Metropolitan Joanikije and Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije.
This was confirmed for RTCG by the director of the Directorate for Emergency Situations in the Ministry of the Interior of Montenegro, Miodrag Beovi.
Beovi stated that all legal actions were taken against them in accordance with the law.

Montenegrin officials have accused the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, of launching a coup attempt during violent protests at the weekend against the enthronement of a new Serbian Orthodox Church leader, claiming that some of the protesters were armed.

As he explained, he believes that this happened because he tried to deal with "the Serbian national line".
"This is also the symbolic end of Djukanovic's regime, which was based on quarrels, obstruction of the Serbian national being, interests and rights in Montenegro," Dodik said in Banja Luka.

The enthronement of the Metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Joanikije, yesterday and today was followed by riots in Cetinje and clashes with the police.