Simic: Situation for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija never worse, we must be more united than ever

The Serb List Vice President Igor Simic pointed out today that the atmosphere in Kosovo has become heated as a result of dozens of anti-Serb activities by the regime of Albin Kurti and the silence of the international community, which gives space for "extremists like Kurti to continue such behavior." He stated that the situation for Serbs in Kosovo has never been worse and called on Serbs to be more united than ever.

"That's why yesterday, on behalf of the Serbian people and the Serb List, we said enough is enough, and if these activities do not stop by June 1st, we will be forced to defend the right to stay in this territory by all possible means," Simic said in an interview for Prva TV.

As he explained, this means that they will not remain silent in the face of Albin Kurti's actions.

"June 1st was not chosen arbitrarily; we don't rush things. There is enough time for the representatives of the Quint and the international community to influence Pristina to stop this harassment and change its behavior towards the Serbian people. Every nation on Earth, including the Serbian people, has the right to live a life worthy of a human being in the 21st century," Simic stated.

Simic mentioned that the basic human rights of Serbs were being violated, with Kosovo police searching Serbian women, patients, and ambulance drivers, shooting Serbs in the back in the dark, and even trying to cover it up afterward.

"Since they cannot conceal it, they arrest that person but magically release them to house arrest, while there are dozens of Serbs languishing in prisons throughout Kosovo without any justice. One can't help but wonder: how much longer? The citizens refuse to tolerate this terror," he noted.

Simic says that yesterday when Erden Atic took the oath as mayor of North Mitrovica, it was a difficult day for Serbs in Kosovo and a shameful day for the international community and official Pristina, which succeeded in initiating the process of occupying northern Kosovo, a logical consequence of the institutional violence being carried out against the Serbian people for months.

"Serbs are truly angry, and yesterday showed how much Albanian political representatives care about coexistence and peace because there were numerous provocations aimed at eliciting a reaction from the Serbian people that would lead us into problems. We made superhuman efforts, the entire presidency of the Serb List was in the field, and we influenced citizens not to fall for Albin Kurti's provocations, but patience has been exhausted due to everything that Serbs endure under this anti-Serb regime," Simic stated.

He recalled cases of beatings and shootings of Serbs, seizure of Serbian land, bans on elections and referendums, confiscation of medical supplies and drugs, shooting at Serbian children on Christmas Eve, and the recent harassment of Zivojin Rakocevic, whom he described as a pacifist and someone who tried to preserve coexistence between Serbs and Albanians but is now being harassed.

"These are not isolated incidents but a well-designed plan aimed at expelling Serbs because he (Kurti) would not refer to the Croatian model for resolving the Serbian issue in Kosovo. We all know that Serbs understand that as an invitation to Operation Flash and Operation Storm. We must not allow such a thing, and President Aleksandar Vucic will not allow it," Simic emphasized.

He reminded that after the 1999 conflict, over 250,000 Serbs were expelled from Kosovo.

"One thing that keeps us on this territory is our unity. This is a moment when we must be composed because the situation for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija has never been worse. I call on all Serbs to be more united than ever," Simic concluded.