Radojevic: We are witnessing a destruction of the law, police are taking over executive power, we will turn to the prosecution

The Mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojevic, visited today, together with the President of the Municipal Assembly Ivan Zaporozac, the site where 23 garages owned by Serbs were demolished early this morning. On that occasion, he assessed that this represents a destruction of the law and that the police have taken over executive authority. He also announced that the Municipality will initiate proceedings and file an official complaint with the competent prosecution.

“Unfortunately, behind us are not only demolished garages. We are witnessing the destruction of the law, the destruction of our lives in the Municipality of North Mitrovica, total lawlessness and anarchy, the rule of force, the rule of the stronger. These ruins represent our lives in the Municipality of North Mitrovica. However trivial this may seem to some, it is the truth if no one responds to the appeals of the Municipality of North Mitrovica to stop this, if no one responds to the appeals that these people do not have permits, that they are acting completely outside the competences prescribed by law, that no one informed the Municipality about this, that no one addressed it or took any step, that the police are taking over executive power, acting as the Municipality and assuming the role of an enforcer and securing the demolition of these structures,” Radojevic said.

The demolition procedure was initiated on February 13, after which the Municipality attempted to establish contact and resolve the issue with the company Trepca South, which had announced the demolition, but according to Radojevic, they did not encounter understanding.

“We repeatedly tried to get in touch with representatives of Trepca South in order to find some agreement for our fellow citizens. Unfortunately, we did not encounter understanding. Yesterday, we informed representatives of the international community about this problem and asked for their help. We asked them to prevent a precedent whereby the central authorities and the Kosovo police would fully take over the competences of the Municipality. They told us they would work on it. Here are the results of that work behind us. That silence,” Radojevic said.

As he pointed out, in this situation the police have positioned themselves both as an executive body and as an inspection authority, which is unlawful.

“Phones that have been ringing since this morning are ringing too late, and I say that as mayor, because there should have been understanding weeks and months earlier when we were warning about these problems and when we have persistently warned that this is leading toward the abolition of the separate Municipality of North Mitrovica, that its competences are being completely taken over, that the central level is bypassing the Municipality of North Mitrovica, that the police are positioning themselves as inspection, as executive authority, as police, and as judiciary,” he said.

As he noted, today we are witnessing the destruction of legality and the disregard for the law.

As someone who led the detention center in North Mitrovica for ten years, Radojevic said that the explanation that these structures pose a security risk to the prison is not valid.

“As someone who led that detention center for ten years, I responsibly claim that there is absolutely no security risk to it. I state this as someone who led that institution for a decade. So these are really excuses that will probably be acceptable to representatives of the international community, since you see that they have taken no action and have remained passive. Unfortunately, with what is happening today, if the international community does not take any step to stop this, there is serious concern that the Municipality of North Mitrovica will be left without its competences, because the central level will continue to take steps completely independently, as they see fit,” he said.

Radojevic also announced that the Municipality’s legal team will initiate court proceedings, as he said there is no point in turning to the police.

“We will speak with our legal team about whether we can initiate court proceedings, a lawsuit, because as you can see, there is no point in addressing the police, since the police are protecting those who have force, those who are stronger. We will certainly initiate proceedings and file an official complaint with the competent prosecution. Our lawyers will determine exactly which legal provisions we can invoke, so we will certainly take those steps,” Radojevic concluded.

The company “Trepca South” announced today that an operation has begun to demolish all structures and garages built without legal basis on parcel no. 02537-1 in North Mitrovica, with the aim of clearing the company’s property.

The owners of the demolished garages, on the other hand, claim that they have all the necessary documentation for these structures.