The Municipality of Gracanica has filed a lawsuit against the Government of Kosovo

The Municipality of Gracanica announced that on October 24, it filed a lawsuit against the Government of Kosovo at the Basic Court in Pristina, as the primary competent instance, due to the unlawful expropriation of municipal land. The land is now designated for the construction of the "Kosovo Residential Center for Autism, Down Syndrome, and Disability for Children and Elderly."

In the statement, Gracanica’s legal team presented evidence claiming that the Government of Kosovo’s decision is unlawful, contrary to democratic principles, and detrimental to the interests of the Municipality of Gracanica, further hindering its development.

"On the following day, October 25, an emergency session of the Gracanica Municipal Assembly was held, during which council members adopted conclusions clearly defining the Assembly’s position on this issue, namely that the Assembly opposes the unilateral decision concerning the expropriation of ownership of these plots," the statement said.

They added that the Municipality’s position was also communicated in an objection to the Government of Kosovo, accompanied by relevant documentation, submitted by the Mayor of Gracanica’s office on October 28.

"We reiterate that the Government of Kosovo made this decision unilaterally, without consulting or obtaining approval from the Municipality of Gracanica, and we have not received any response to the legal actions we have initiated," the statement continued.

The Mayor of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, along with the entire municipal leadership, will continue to utilize all legal and democratic means and engage in discussions with international officials to prevent the Kosovo Government’s plan from proceeding. They assured citizens that they have no reason to doubt these efforts.

"We face daily challenges and administrative pressures as a local self-government, with efforts to resolve issues for all our citizens being further hindered by poor analytical approaches and political campaigns from certain individuals and organizations who provide superficial interpretations and speculations regarding the role of the Municipality of Gracanica in the Government of Kosovo’s decision," they added.

The Municipality of Gracanica believes that the lawsuit will be taken seriously and resolved in favor of the local self-government, which opposes the expropriation of immovable municipal property that belongs to its citizens.

"The Municipality of Gracanica remains committed to each of its citizens, continuing to invest, build, assist, and create for every individual and family. As always, we will keep the public informed about all details related to this case, which the Municipality of Gracanica considers to be very serious and significant, addressing it institutionally through legal and democratic means," the statement concluded.