GRAFFITI ON SIGN IN FRONT OF BISHOP'S COURT HOUSING SERB INSTITUTIONS

MOSTAR, OCTOBER 12 /SRNA/ - Graffiti reading "4th Corps" and "1981" appeared this morning on the sign of the Cathedral Church Museum in Mostar, located in front of the Bishop's Court, alluding to the Fourth Corps of the Army of BiH, which operated in Herzegovina, and to the "Red Army" fan group supporting the Velež Football Club.

The building of the Bishop's Court in Mostar, which serves as the seat of the Diocese of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral, houses the Church Municipality of Mostar, the Consulate General of Serbia, the Office of Republika Srpska, and the "Prosvjeta" Serbian Educational and Cultural Society - Mostar City Board. The head priest of the Cathedral Church in Mostar, Duško Kojić, said that the sight deeply disturbed the clergy and everyone entering the building, describing it as unsettling to know that someone wishes to desecrate their property and disrupt community relations. "These are extremely ugly messages that contribute nothing positive to life in Mostar. The concern is even greater knowing that the building is under police surveillance, yet such an incident still occurred", Kojić said. Serbia's Consul General in Mostar, Vaso Gujić, stated that he was shocked and unpleasantly surprised to learn that the sign in front of the Bishop's Court - which also houses the Consulate General - was defaced with the inscriptions "4th Corps" and "1981." "I cannot interpret the message otherwise than as an attempt to undermine the very good relations between the majority Bosniak population living near the Court, the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the staff of the Consulate General of Serbia in Mostar", Gujić said. He emphasized that the incident occurred only a few meters from a police guard post. "I hope it will not be difficult to identify the irresponsible individuals, especially since the area is covered by security cameras. As a diplomatic mission, in line with diplomatic practice, we will formally address the relevant institutions of BiH to take appropriate measures to prevent such incidents from happening again", Gujić added. The Church Municipality of Mostar reported that the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Interior has been informed of the incident.