Belgrade, 13 September 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Saturday's Europride parade in the Serbian capital of Belgrade has been banned, with the country's Interior Ministry warning of safety concerns. There is a high risk that the safety of participants and other citizens cannot be guaranteed, the state news agency Tanjug reported, citing the ministry on Tuesday. No further details were given. Pride parades, where participants demonstrate for the rights of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and other identities (LGBTIQ*) community, have taken place in Belgrade without incident since 2014. However, less than a month ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declared that this year's Pride would have to be cancelled or postponed for security reasons. Vučić justified this with the tense situation surrounding the neighbouring country of Kosovo, which used to belong to Serbia and has been independent since 2008. Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, which today is almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians. Ethnic Serbs set up roadblocks in northern Kosovo at the beginning of August amid a dispute about identity documents, but the situation has calmed down again. The coordinator of Europride, Goran Miletic, said in Belgrade late on Tuesday that the parade would take place despite the Interior Ministry's decision. The organizers would appeal against the decision. If the appeal is not granted, they will take legal action.