Djoric: We appealed to the Human Rights Commissioner because we have been enduring injustice for 25 years

The President of the Women’s Association Avenija from Gracanica, Gordana Djoric—one of the organizations that signed the open letter to the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights—said she expects a response, since Serbs in Kosovo have been enduring injustice for 25 years and only want to live a normal life.

“If we had thought that nothing could change, we certainly would not have appealed. This is an opportunity for us to try to make a difference so that human rights are respected in the proper way, because our rights are being violated, and in that way our lives are being destroyed as well,” Djoric told Kosovo Online.

Several non-governmental organizations asked the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, Michael O’Flaherty, in their letter to visit Kosovo and familiarize himself with the “serious and systematic violations of the rights” of non-majority communities, and in particular the Serbian community.
Djoric stressed that Serbs in Kosovo have been suffering injustice for the past 25 years.

“We have been enduring injustice for 25 years, and I am certain that the rule of law does not exist—especially when it comes to the Serbian community,” Djoric emphasized.

As a concrete example, she cited the selective application of the law.

“When the majority community is concerned, court cases are resolved very quickly. But when the Serbian community is involved, those cases are dragged out. Right now, entire families are being evicted without trial, without any ruling—just by police action. Some institution has taken upon itself the right to evict families who have lived there for 50 years, or to permit illegal construction. They do whatever they want, while institutions are supposed to enforce the law, and not only do they fail to do so, but they themselves violate it,” she stated.

Djoric expressed her belief that European institutions will take the letter from the Serbian community in Kosovo seriously, that the European Commissioner will send his representatives, and that they will have the opportunity to present firsthand everything that is happening.

“We hope this will help bring about some changes—so that we can survive and live here, so that we can simply improve our living conditions, finally exercise the rights that belong to us under the law, and live more normally,” Djoric explained.

Asked what would happen if there is no adequate response, she shrugged her shoulders.

“If they do not pay attention to our letter, then we truly have no one left to believe in, and we will have to see how to organize ourselves in order to ensure that the laws are enforced properly here,” Djoric concluded.