Kosovo Government responds to Quint, the EU, and OSCE: Expropriation in accordance with the law

Last night, the Government of Kosovo rejected criticisms from statements made by Quint countries, the EU, and the OSCE regarding the decision on the expropriation of land in the north, emphasizing that this decision was in accordance with the law and that the statement, as they say, incorrectly stated the facts with an unsubstantiated legal assessment. They also object to the fact that the municipalities in the north are referred to as "municipalities with a Serbian majority," noting that expropriation "should be evaluated in terms of legality, human rights, and public interest, and not in terms of the ethnic affiliation of the citizens."

They remind that the government, on the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure, initiated the expropriation process in several municipalities in accordance with the law, for the construction of infrastructure projects, stating that everything is legitimate and in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights.

They add that this was presented in discussions with international partners, who demanded that the government respect ongoing court proceedings before making a final decision on expropriation.

The government notes that although the law allows for a decision to be made despite proceedings initiated before the courts, they still waited for the courts' final decisions.

"The only dispute regarding the expropriation process... is the amount of compensation. Citizens appealed against the previous expropriation decision, claiming violations. The courts determined that the majority of those who filed the appeal, with the exception of a small number, did not have legitimacy, as they were not owners of the properties that were the subject of expropriation. In the final decision, the government referred to the court decisions," they add, emphasizing that land owned by those who won in court was excluded from expropriation.
They add that the law applied equally to everyone, as in all other cases of expropriation in Kosovo, and that "they believe everyone agrees that all regions of Kosovo should be treated equally under the law."

The government claims that the construction of infrastructure projects, including police stations, will help in preventing violence, fighting organized crime, and corruption.

"These are legal and legitimate goals that contribute to strengthening law enforcement and, above all, the security of citizens who have long been exposed to violence and terror by criminal groups led by Milan Radoicic, who is under sanctions from the US and the United Kingdom," the statement says.

They also add that eminent lawyers concluded that the Kosovo legal framework was heavily influenced by the international community and exceeded international standards.

The government also expresses concern in the statement that the municipalities affected by the expropriation decision are referred to as "municipalities with a Serbian majority," noting that Kosovo's municipalities have relevant names and the government does not refer to them as "municipalities with an Albanian, Serbian, Turkish… majority," as this is not in line with the multiethnic character of Kosovo's constitution.

"Expropriation should be evaluated in terms of legality, human rights, and public interest, and not in terms of the ethnic affiliation of the citizens," the Government of Kosovo adds.