B92 investigates links between right-wingers and Church

A B92 TV investigative program has discovered that extreme fans and extreme right-wingers take part in incidents together. They also have support of some individuals from the SPC and also from some parties, the Insajder (Insider) program has found out. B92 investigates links between right-wingers and Church Unrest in Belgrade a month ago showed that nothing has changed in Serbia when it comes to extreme groups. An initiative to ban them has been at the Constitutional Cour tofr a year now, without any decision being made. The two new episodes, entitled, "Violence with Blessings" continue the "Weakness of State" series which has caused many reactions and threats against Insajder journalists. It was discovered them that in the past years more than 100 criminal complaints for serious crimes had been filed against leaders of supporter groups of Red Star, Partizan and Rad, but that there have not been any final verdicts for years. Social psychologist at the British Open University Jovan Byford has studied the genesis of the right-wing organizations in Serbia for years. He told the program that the Obraz organization, whose members are today in prison, was founded within an Orhtodox missionary school in the 1990s, and that its members occasionally cooperated with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Obraz was founded by theologian Nebojsa Krstic and until his death in 2001 the organization represented the SPC youth, explained Byford. Mladen Obradovic took over that year and the groups relations with the Church were distrust, since Obraz practically became an extreme right-wing organization. Another right-wing organization, Dveri, became close to the Church then. SPC representative Father Aleksandar Djakovac says that the Church has not ties with any right-wing organization, and that Obraz and Dveri should be differentiated, because the former is ready to resort to violence. According to Insajder research, Dveri never openly calls to violence, but it represents the ideological umbrella to all other right-wing organizations. However, no one talks about them precisely because they have the support of the Church. Several Dveri members have been employed at the SPC patriarchate for the past few years, and Metropolitan Amfilohije Radovic often takes part in their forums, while Dveri receives funding from ministries of the Serbia government and the Serbian Orthodox Church eparchies. The new Insajder episode will air on Monday at 22:00 CET.

B92 investigates links between right-wingers and Church

Unrest in Belgrade a month ago showed that nothing has changed in Serbia when it comes to extreme groups.

An initiative to ban them has been at the Constitutional Cour tofr a year now, without any decision being made.

The two new episodes, entitled, "Violence with Blessings" continue the "Weakness of State" series which has caused many reactions and threats against Insajder journalists.

It was discovered them that in the past years more than 100 criminal complaints for serious crimes had been filed against leaders of supporter groups of Red Star, Partizan and Rad, but that there have not been any final verdicts for years.

Social psychologist at the British Open University Jovan Byford has studied the genesis of the right-wing organizations in Serbia for years. He told the program that the Obraz organization, whose members are today in prison, was founded within an Orhtodox missionary school in the 1990s, and that its members occasionally cooperated with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

Obraz was founded by theologian Nebojša Krstić and until his death in 2001 the organization represented the SPC youth, explained Byford.

Mladen Obradović took over that year and the groups relations with the Church were distrust, since Obraz practically became an extreme right-wing organization. Another right-wing organization, Dveri, became close to the Church then.

SPC representative Father Aleksandar Đakovac says that the Church has not ties with any right-wing organization, and that Obraz and Dveri should be differentiated, because the former is ready to resort to violence.

According to Insajder research, Dveri never openly calls to violence, but it represents the ideological umbrella to all other right-wing organizations. However, no one talks about them precisely because they have the support of the Church.

Several Dveri members have been employed at the SPC patriarchate for the past few years, and Metropolitan Amfilohije Radović often takes part in their forums, while Dveri receives funding from ministries of the Serbia government and the Serbian Orthodox Church eparchies.

The new Insajder episode will air on Monday at 22:00 CET.