Tanasijevic condemns stoning of bus near Vitina: Circumstances indicate attack was ethnically motivated

Strpce Mayor Ivica Tanasijevic condemned last night’s stoning of a bus operating on the Belgrade-Strpce route near Vitina, saying that the circumstances surrounding the incident indicated that the attack was ethnically motivated. He called on the competent authorities to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“We strongly condemn last night’s stone-throwing attack on a bus operated by Tandems, traveling on the Belgrade-Strpce route, which occurred at around 10 p.m. in Sadovina near Vitina. This was not an insignificant incident, but a serious attack that endangered the safety and lives of the people on board the bus,” Tanasijevic said in a statement.

He said that the incident had caused additional alarm among the Serbian population in Strpce and had created fear and concern among residents.

“The fact that a bus traveling on the Belgrade-Strpce route, carrying Serbs to their homes, was stoned, as well as the circumstances in which the incident occurred, indicate that the attack was ethnically motivated,” Tanasijevic said.

He called on the Kosovo Police and all competent institutions to establish all the circumstances without delay, identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Tanasijevic noted that it was particularly concerning that the attack had occurred only several days after the first-instance judgment against the former KLA leaders in The Hague, which had prompted strong reactions among the Albanian public.

He stressed that the timing and circumstances of the attack further heightened concern and a sense of insecurity among the Serbian population.

“It is unacceptable to expect Serbs in Strpce and throughout Kosovo to restrict their movements, avoid certain roads or remain in their homes in order to stay safe. Everyone has the right to move freely, travel, work and live without fearing for themselves or their families. It is the responsibility of the institutions to ensure their safety, not to shift that responsibility onto the citizens,” Tanasijevic said.

He therefore called on international representatives, particularly KFOR, to take concrete measures within its mandate to protect the Serbian population and ensure its security. He added that the international presence must demonstrate that it was prepared to implement its mandate in practice and guarantee Serbs the conditions necessary for a normal and safe life.

“We are not asking for declarative condemnations and empty promises. We are asking for the perpetrators to be identified and prosecuted and for concrete action to demonstrate that attacks against Serbs will not go unanswered,” Tanasijevic concluded.

A Tandems bus operating on the Belgrade-Strpce route was stoned at around 10 p.m. last night in Sadovina near Vitina.

The front of the bus was struck by stones, and approximately 15 passengers were on board at the time.

The attack was reported to the Kosovo Police.