Radosavljevic: Demolitions at Lake Radonjic showed that the same rules do not apply to Serbs and Albanians

The demolition of weekend houses at Lake Radonjic showed precisely the opposite of what the Kosovo government is trying to portray, namely that the same rules apply to Albanians as to Serbs and that institutions do their job equally for everyone, Serb List MP Jovana Radosavljevic told Kosovo Online.

Radosavljevic stressed that yesterday's operation showed that the standards are not the same for Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo.

She said that the Ministry of Environment may have wanted to demonstrate that justice is the same for everyone, but that it had the opposite effect.

“In the case of Lake Radonjic and the illegally built weekend houses, we had a seven-year process involving court proceedings and other mechanisms that were used, followed eventually by the demolition operation that took place yesterday. In the case of the weekend houses and properties at Gazivode, the situation is such that, even before a court decision or any legal remedy, we have demolitions taking place within just about 15 days,” Radosavljevic explained.

She noted that this is just one example of the discrimination faced by Serbs in Kosovo and particularly emphasized that many things happening on the ground make no sense.

“Apparently, there is logic in Kosovo when the rights of Serbs are being violated, that is, when pressure is being exerted on Serbs, both in the north and in the south. Through this example of the demolition of properties at Lake Gazivode, through the excessive use of force by the Kosovo Police in dealing with ordinary citizens, as in the case of Nenad Raskovic, and through some of the other ways in which Kosovo institutions treat Kosovo Serbs, we can see that there is no law or justice here and that the goal is to put pressure on the Serbian people in Kosovo,” Radosavljevic said.

She finds the simultaneous withdrawal of representatives of international organizations that are supposed to protect the Serbian community particularly concerning.

“Looking at the statements and reports of international organizations, we now have an announced process of optimizing KFOR, that is, reducing KFOR's presence, particularly at the bridge over the Ibar and in relation to the Visoki Decani Monastery. We have a process in which the institutions and mechanisms that are supposed to protect the Serbian community are now withdrawing simultaneously,” Radosavljevic concluded.

Yesterday, five illegally constructed properties on public land belonging to the Regional Water Company in Djakovica were demolished at Lake Radonjic. The company said the demolitions took place after several years of court proceedings had been concluded.

On the other hand, over the past nearly month, 17 properties owned by Serbs at Lake Gazivode have been demolished, including the “Jezero” motel, even though legal proceedings are ongoing. The demolitions continued despite the EU's call on Kosovo's institutions to halt them and, in cooperation with the affected residents and local authorities, find lawful and sustainable solutions, particularly given that the property claims remain the subject of court proceedings.