Jevtic: PACE Decision Harmful, Rewards Those Who Endanger the Basic Rights of a People

Dalibor Jevtic, the Mayor of Strpce, stated to Kosovo Online that the decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to adopt the recommendation for Kosovo's membership in the organization is harmful and in some ways rewards those who endanger the basic human rights of a people.

"At a time when the situation regarding human rights in Kosovo is worse than ever, at a time when, since we have had the Albin Kurti regime in power in Pristina, we have seen the highest number of incidents, at a time when Serbs are being arrested and detained without justification and without the right to a fair trial, at a time when we are experiencing the highest societal tensions due to all the pressures suffered by a minority people in Kosovo, consenting to the entry into an institution that deals with human rights is a very harmful move and a detrimental decision. It sends a very bad message and in some ways rewards those who endanger the basic human rights of a people. This is something alarming and does not contribute to solving all these problems I have listed," Jevtic explained.

Dalibor Jevtic also highlighted that Albin Kurti's statement that the voting in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is "a confirmation that human rights in Kosovo are improving" represents the biggest slap in the face to the international community.

"The biggest slap that the international community could receive on this matter is Albin Kurti's statement where he says that yesterday's voting in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is a confirmation that human rights in Kosovo are improving and are better, whereas they are, I repeat, worse than ever. This is his message to the international community, which has recently been verbally criticizing decisions about the abolition of the dinar and other decisions made by the current regime in Pristina," emphasized the Mayor of Strpce.

He points out that we are reaching a situation where decisions are being made due to other geopolitical interests.

"If there is an interest in the international community for the situation here in Kosovo and Metohija to improve, for citizens to live more safely, to enjoy basic human rights, this is not the way. In this context, as a political party to which I belong, our policy will be directed in such a way that we do everything to protect the interests of the citizens we politically represent. On the other hand, we believe that someone in the international community will take it as an alarm that even what was promised in written form by the regime in Pristina in a letter signed by the Prime Minister, the President, and the Speaker of the Assembly has not been done. This concerns, among other things, the expropriation of social property, interference in the judiciary, the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and what is for us a vital issue—the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM)," said Jevtic.