Radojevic: We have sent an official inquiry to the police; Elshani's statement is unacceptable

The Mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojevic, has responded to remarks made by the Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North Region, Veton Elshani, who told local media that the police had no information about who had painted over the wall, adding that this was "perfectly fine" from their perspective. Radojevic described the statement as dismissive of the citizens of North Mitrovica.

Radojevic said that the municipality had received numerous calls from concerned residents regarding the wall that had been painted over, but stressed that the municipality had neither participated in nor been consulted about the matter.

"This morning, we received numerous calls from concerned citizens regarding the wall that had been painted over, where a mural dedicated to Patriarch Pavle was supposed to be painted. However, we have absolutely no information about what happened. The Municipality of North Mitrovica was in no way involved, nor was it consulted in this regard," Radojevic said.
 

He added that the municipality had sent an official inquiry to the Kosovo Police asking who had painted over the wall, on what legal basis this had been done, and whether the necessary authorization had been obtained.

"Since yesterday we were informed that approval from the Ministry of Local Government Administration was required, we asked whether the individuals who painted over the wall had obtained authorization from that ministry and on what grounds they had carried out the work," Radojevic added.

Commenting on Elshani's statement that the police did not know who had painted over the wall but saw nothing problematic about it, Radojevic said such a response was unacceptable.

"If this were not about our lives and if the citizens of North Mitrovica did not have to witness such things, the statement would actually be amusing. However, this is, to put it mildly, a mockery of the citizens of the Municipality of North Mitrovica," he stressed.

Radojevic recalled that the previous day, when the artist had attempted to paint the mural, the police intervened and detained both the artist and the young men accompanying him, after which police officers remained stationed at the site.

"By coincidence, around ten police officers, both in plain clothes and in uniform, appeared. They detained the artist and the young men who were with him, issued him a misdemeanor citation, and then deployed police officers to physically guard the wall to prevent anyone from attempting to paint the mural," Radojevic said.

He emphasized that the mural was to be painted with the municipality's approval and in full compliance with all required procedures, making it unclear how the wall had subsequently been painted over.

"Despite the fact that the municipality had issued the necessary authorization and approval, meaning that everything had been done in accordance with the law, today we are told that they do not know who painted over the wall, yet they see no problem with it. To say the least, that is a rather remarkable statement," Radojevic concluded.