North Mitrovica Municipality halts demolition in Bosniak Mahala, police detain municipal officials

The Municipality of North Mitrovica announced that its municipal inspection department had halted the demolition of several structures in Bosniak Mahala, stating that the contractor did not have a valid demolition permit. The Municipality also said that the Kosovo Police had obstructed municipal officials in the performance of their duties and taken them to the police station.

According to the Municipality, following requests from concerned residents regarding the planned construction of residential buildings in Bosniak Mahala, the Directorate of Inspection responded and requested access to the relevant municipal documentation.

It stressed that the entire process of handling the case, from the change in land use through to the issuance of permits for the demolition of existing structures and the construction of new ones, had been the responsibility of the previous leadership of the Municipality of North Mitrovica.

"An examination of the case file processed by the previous municipal administration established that the demolition permit that had been issued actually expired on August 18, 2025. An examination of the Kosovo Geoportal established that structures currently being demolished are in fact located on a municipal parcel and that the contractor had never received a permit from the Municipality to demolish them. Accordingly, the municipal inspection department went to the site and ordered the contractor to immediately suspend all activities until further notice," the statement said.

The Municipality added that, following a detailed review of the case, its legal team had identified suspected procedural irregularities, on the basis of which the Municipality of North Mitrovica would initiate criminal proceedings against individuals who, it alleged, had been involved in unlawful actions during the process.

"The absurdity of the entire situation lies in the conduct of the police, who, once again, instead of assisting municipal officials, obstructed them in carrying out their duties and responsibilities and took them to the police station, where they remain at the time of publication of this statement," the Municipality concluded.