Tsar Lazar Guard

The Tsar Lazar Guard (Serbian: Гарда светог цара Лазара), is an ultra-nationalistic organization led by Hadži Andrej Milić and Željko Vasiljević. It was formed by the Movement of Veterans of Serbia to fight against Kosovo independence from Serbia.^[1] It is named after Prince Lazar of Serbia, who died in the Battle of Kosovo.

Milić said:^[2]

“Just as Martić shelled Zagreb, we will do the same to Priština. Since the Šiptars (a derogatory term for Kosovo Albanians) have reproduced like rabbits, they will die like rabbits. There will be no survivors. God help the Serbian military and police if they try and get in our way. We will view them as the enemy, and we will do to them the same as we’ll do to the Šiptars

On 5 May 2007, the National Serbian Movement hosted a Serbian Assembly in the Lazarica Church in Kruševac where it swore in "the Saint Tsar Lazar Guard vowed to free Kosovo and Metohija."^[1] Vasiljević stated it would be "the establishment of a first uniformed Christian militia squad, comprised of war veterans from all over Serbia."^[1] Serbian police detained 27 people at the event.^[3]

On 28 June 2007, Guard took part in the Battle of Kosovo commemoration organized by the Serbian government.^[4] UN officials reacted strongly to the Guard's presence and international officials claimed that it was provocation and attempt to destabilize the situation.^[4]

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo ("UNMIK") has prohibited The Guard from entering Kosovo and has deemed it illegal. It is considered a group of Serbian ultra-nationalists who utilize rhetorical statements that promote that Albanians be killed or expelled and opposing Serbs be "dealt with".^[5]

In mid-November 2007, the group said that war in Kosovo was inevitable, and likened the future bombing of Pristina to the Serb bombing of Zagreb, Croatia in the 1990s.^[5] In late November, the group's leader was detained by Serbian police and released.^[6][7]

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