The State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje has filed a case against Metodije for his speech in Gornji Zaostar

The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje has filed a case against Metropolitan Metodije of Budimlje-Niksic for his speech in Gornji Zaostar on August 8 this year.

"The procedure is in the investigation phase, evidence is being collected in order to assess whether the actions of a person contain elements of a criminal offense for which they are being prosecuted ex officio," the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje responded to "Vijesti".

On August 8, Metodje served a liturgy and memorial service in Gornji Zaostr for members of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland, or rather the Chetnik movement.

He then, as reported by Pobjeda, said that those who had a command and headquarters in that village during World War II were "identical" to the heroes of the Montenegrin liberation wars, citing Vučji Do and Fundina. He compared the People's Liberation Movement to the Ottoman army, saying that in World War II the "Turks" were not defeated, but that they won "only under a different name", and that the people "suffered under occupation" until today.

He called the members of the Chetnik movement "great heroes and dukes", thanking them for what they had done for their people, fighting for the honorable cross and golden freedom. Speaking about the relationship between church and state, he said that he prayed that the Montenegrin state would be "holy" and that the Serbian people would have a "holy and blessed state".

He also referred to the presence of the police, accusing them of obstructing gatherings in the town in previous years, disrupting their flow, introducing their own people and trying to present the participants as "wild people". He expressed hope that police officers would one day come to Gornje Zaostro with a Slava cake.

The Bijelo Polje Higher State Prosecutor's Office dismissed criminal charges against Metodije, assessing that there was nothing controversial in last year's speeches in which he praised the notorious Chetnik commander Pavle Đurišić.

The Podgorica Higher State Prosecutor's Office has filed a case against Metodije for glorifying convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.

"Vijesti" was informed by the institution headed by Duško Milanović that a case has been opened against Metodije for the criminal offense of inciting national, racial and religious hatred.

On August 28, Methodius said at the Piva Monastery that the people in Mladić "recognized all those wonderful and holy qualities of Serbian warriors and knights."