Odalovic: By demolishing houses at Gazivode, Kurti is sending the message that there is no place there for Serbs

The President of the Commission on Missing Persons, Veljko Odalovic, said today that by demolishing weekend cottages at Gazivode, Albin Kurti is continuing his campaign of terror against the Serbian people and sending the message that there is no place there for Serbs.

"Kurti is continuing his terror. Institutional terror as well, through indictments, trials and arrests... And now through attacks on property at Gazivode. Without any documents, without any legal basis," Odalovic told Tanjug TV.

He recalled that Serbian villages had been flooded to create the Gazivode reservoir, that churches remain underwater, and that ownership is beyond dispute. He also noted that the 2020 Washington Agreement stipulated that the US Department of Energy would deal with Gazivode.

"And today we have some self-proclaimed director of 'Ibar-Lepenac' and the so-called Kosovo Forests behaving this way. Then Albin Kurti, without any documents or official decision, embarks on ruthless demolitions. He is deliberately demolishing Serbian houses and weekend cottages and sending the message: 'There is no place for you here, this is ours,'" Odalovic pointed out.

What is particularly worrying, he said, is that other Albanian political parties in Kosovo are not criticizing Kurti for what he is doing to the Serbs.

"Political parties in Pristina criticize him for only one thing, damaging relations with the United States. That is all they are concerned about, and they should be concerned and should not sleep peacefully because of it, but not a single one of them has criticized Kurti for what he is doing to the Serbs," Odalovic said.

He also mentioned the murder of the Serbian harvesters in Staro Gracko 27 years ago, as well as other crimes for which no one has been held accountable, creating the impression that Serbs were considered legitimate targets.

"We prosecuted some of those crimes, but after October 5, 2000, those who took power had to grant amnesty to the Djakovica Group, the Mazreku brothers, Kurti... What was those people's crime? They did not enter anyone else's field, yet armed terrorists literally massacred them, killing innocent civilians, and no one has ever been held accountable. Not for Belacevac, not for the Yellow House. Not for the crime in Livadice, where people were traveling to observe All Souls' Day. Not for the children who were swimming in the Bistrica River near Gorazdevac," Odalovic said.

Regarding the expected verdict for the KLA leaders in The Hague, he said he firmly believes they will be convicted.

That is why, he said, people in Pristina, Tirana, Skopje and The Hague are raising their voices and exerting pressure for the leaders to be acquitted, because a guilty verdict would change the narrative about the "Kosovo Liberation Army."

He added that the evidence is so strong that an acquittal would come as a surprise to him.

Odalovic also said that through trials in absentia over Racak and the indictment related to Adem Jashari, all of which he says has been allowed, Kurti is attempting to rewrite history.

"Racak has never been legally adjudicated anywhere, and even The Hague abandoned that case. Kurti wants to portray those responsible for the murders of police officers and civilians near Stimlje, against whom an anti-terrorist operation was conducted, as victims, while portraying those who were simply doing their jobs as criminals, thereby establishing a historical narrative about Serbia's crimes. He is trying to do the same with the indictment concerning Adem Jashari. They turned a highway robber into a hero. I have no doubt they will try to do the same with regard to Dubrava," Odalovic said.