Gogic: Expulsion of four Serbs from Kosovo an example of ethnically motivated pseudo-legal lawlessness

Political scientist Ognjen Gogic stated that the expulsion of four Serbs from Kosovo, where they have lived their entire lives, represents a level of pseudo-legal lawlessness rarely seen elsewhere.

In a Facebook post, Gogic emphasized that four Serbs have been expelled from Kosovo in the past two days following an identical pattern.

"The Kosovo Minister of Internal Affairs ordered that their Kosovo citizenship be revoked and that they be deported, allegedly because they work for the Serbian police. So, because of where they supposedly work, they have now been expelled from Kosovo, where they lived their entire lives as full-fledged citizens. This is a level of pseudo-legal lawlessness you can hardly find anywhere. It is true that there is a legal basis for revoking citizenship. Citizenship may be revoked if a person holds another citizenship and acts against national security, which may include working for foreign security services. In theory, such a possibility exists, but it is far from something that can be decided instantly at the minister's discretion. The legal procedure is lengthier and more complex," Gogic wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that even if there is a legal basis for revoking citizenship, that does not mean the minister can arbitrarily decide whom to expel.

"Where did he even get information that these people worked in Serbia, for whom, and in what capacity? What kind of data does he possess, and was it obtained legally? If there truly are security risks, why haven’t proper legal proceedings been initiated against those individuals? If they committed unlawful acts, how is it that the very first measure applied against them is stripping them of all rights?" he asked.

He stated that the answer is obvious.

"Legal proceedings require time and evidence, while this way everything is resolved by shortcut. The minister can literally make up anything about anyone and, based on that — however he pleases — expel from Kosovo, without court, without evidence, without the right to defense or legal remedy, individuals who have spent their entire lives there. That is exactly what happened. If and when a decision to revoke citizenship is made, it must be individualized and proportional. It deeply infringes upon fundamental human rights, including the right to a home, freedom of movement, and legal certainty," Gogic noted.

He added that the fact such decisions were made in a serial manner, overnight, against several people from the same ethnic group, and without any transparent procedure, clearly shows that this is an abuse of authority and an ethnically motivated crackdown and persecution.

"This is such blatant legal violence that there isn’t even an attempt to conceal how contrary it is to the basic principles of the rule of law, legal certainty, and human rights protection. When a single minister can decide who deserves to remain in their home, without evidence or due process, that is not law — it is ethnic cleansing masked as legality," Gogic concluded.