Hardline bishop appears at Montenegro court for alleged hate speech over curse

Montenegro’s hardline Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop has appeared in court over hate speech charges for a curse aimed at the country’s pro-Western government.

Bishop Amfilohije Radovic, embroiled in a dispute with authorities who wanted to remove a mountaintop church, said that anyone “who demolished the church, may God demolish him and his heirs.”

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Prosecutors say his words hurt the feelings of Montenegrin citizens. The hearing on Thursday was postponed after Amfilohije requested that the judges in the case be replaced.

Amfilohije faces a fine if convicted.

The notorious bishop is known for his pro-Serb nationalism. He heads the church in Montenegro, which is part of the Belgrade-based Serbian Orthodox Church. Serbs make up a sizable minority in Montenegro.