Nikolic: Alarming violation of basic human rights of Serbs in Kosovo

The President of the NGO Communication for the Development of Society (CSD), Ivan Nikolic, stated that the letter sent by several civil society organizations from Kosovo to the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner was a “logical and expected” step after the lack of response from representatives of the international community to their previous appeals, stressing that the violation of the basic human rights of Serbs in Kosovo has become alarming.

“The entire situation, particularly concerning the violation of the fundamental human rights of the Serbian community in Kosovo, has been ongoing for far too long. As civil society organizations, we have repeatedly appealed to representatives of the international community, and we are extremely dissatisfied with their reactions and actions. Sending such a letter to the Commissioner was the logical next step, as it is evident that there are a number of events that must be seriously addressed because they are gravely affecting the daily lives of the Serbian community,” Nikolic told Kosovo Online.

Asked whether they expect a prompt and concrete response from the Council of Europe, he admitted,

“We do not know what to expect. We will see in what way and within what timeframe they will respond. Ideally, a meeting with the Commissioner would be organized, given that he deals with serious issues not only here in Kosovo but across Europe. Yet here, the situation has become critically alarming,” Nikolic emphasized.

He added that the letter to the Commissioner listed a number of very concrete examples.

“We hope that this will in some way raise awareness, both with him personally and within his Office, to respond to the request for a meeting and to elevate this issue to a higher level,” Nikolic said.

When asked whether he expects the Commissioner to visit Kosovo and whether such a visit could change the approach of the authorities in Pristina towards respecting human rights, Nikolic said that such a meeting would be “primarily important with representatives of active non-governmental organizations,” but also with the media, whose work, he stressed, is also endangered—ranging from serious threats to the lack of access to translation into the Serbian language in institutions.

“If he were to come, I think it would send a serious message that the situation is indeed alarming. I want to believe that such a step would bring about change. This was not just a formal gesture to say we had tried, knowing that nothing would happen. No—this was about initiating a step forward, and I want to believe it could truly make a difference,” Nikolic concluded.