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Slovenian Court Sentences Patriarch Porfirije; Vučić Calls Verdict 'Shameful'
🇭🇷 Croatia /Crime & Justice

Slovenian Court Sentences Patriarch Porfirije; Vučić Calls Verdict 'Shameful'

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A court in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has sentenced Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Serbian Orthodox Church community in Ljubljana to a conditional four-month prison sentence and a fine.
  • The sentence is related to allegations of harassing a local priest, who claims he was pressured to give false testimony about financial irregularities.
  • Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called the verdict "shameful," while the Serbian Orthodox Church Synod described it as "scandalous."

The District Court in Ljubljana has issued a conditional four-month prison sentence and a 10,000 euro fine against Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Serbian Orthodox Church community in Ljubljana. The ruling stems from an indictment filed in January by Slovenian prosecutors concerning alleged workplace harassment of a local priest, Željko Lubarda.

shameful

— Aleksandar VučićSerbian President Aleksandar Vučić described the Ljubljana court's verdict against Patriarch Porfirije as "shameful."

Lubarda claims he faced prolonged pressure to provide false testimony to conceal alleged financial irregularities within the church's treasury. The Serbian Orthodox Church Synod has strongly condemned the verdict, calling it "scandalous." They stated that neither the Patriarch nor his representative were informed about the court proceedings, nor was the head of the SPC invited to comment on the accusations. The Synod views this as a "precedent of its kind" that reveals the intentions behind the legal action.

scandalous

— Serbian Orthodox Church SynodThe SPC Synod called the court's decision against Patriarch Porfirije and the Ljubljana church community "scandalous."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reacted swiftly, labeling the Ljubljana court's decision as "shameful" during a visit to Leskovac. He asserted that the verdict demonstrates the attitude towards the Serbian Orthodox Church, which he described as a "pillar of Serbian society."

This is, in itself, a precedent of its kind and clearly speaks of the intention of this judicial process.

— Serbian Orthodox Church SynodThe Synod commented on the lack of notification regarding the court proceedings against the Patriarch.

Patriarch Porfirije served as the metropolitan of Zagreb-Ljubljana until 2021. The SPC Synod also expressed concern that information about the court case surfaced in certain media outlets just before the annual session of the SPC Assembly, suggesting a deliberate attempt to conduct a "dirty media campaign" against the church and its patriarch.

shows what the attitude is towards the Serbian Orthodox Church as the pillar of Serbian society.

— Aleksandar VučićSerbian President Vučić linked the court's verdict to the treatment of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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