Students of the University of Pristina: We face daily violations of human rights

The Student Parliament of the University of Pristina, temporarily based in Kosovska Mitrovica, has addressed a letter to the Student Conference of Serbian Universities and the European Students' Union, highlighting that they, along with the entire Serbian population in Kosovo, are subjected to discrimination, violent behavior, restrictions on freedom of movement, and denial of opportunities critical for education due to actions taken by representatives of the Albanian side.

With this letter, sent on December 10th – International Human Rights Day, the students aim to draw attention to the human rights violations in Kosovo, which they experience daily.

“We use the significance of this day to remind everyone of the dire situation faced by the Serbian people and students in southern Serbia, who daily confront violations of basic human rights as prescribed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948,” the letter states.

The letter recalls that the UN General Assembly declared the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard for all nations, intending for every individual and societal institution to promote respect for these rights and freedoms through teaching and education, ensuring their universal and genuine recognition and observance, both among the peoples of member states and territories under their jurisdiction.

The students emphasize that the University of Pristina, with its temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica, has built its identity over more than half a century as the most significant educational and scientific research institution in Kosovo.

The university currently enrolls around 9,000 students across 10 faculties, offering studies at all levels in over 100 study programs. It employs 794 teaching and research staff, along with 368 administrative and technical staff.

The university operates within Serbia's education system and is a member of the Conference of Serbian Universities.

“Students of our university, as well as the entire population in Kosovo and Metohija, are subjected to discrimination, violent behavior, restrictions on freedom of movement, and denial of opportunities critical for education due to the actions of Albanian representatives,” the letter asserts.

The students warn that the implementation of their studies is daily disrupted by actions of the Pristina authorities, who, through unilateral measures, cause various issues:

“In recent years, we have repeatedly faced bans on goods imports, disrupting the operations of the student cafeteria and clinic. Books written in Cyrillic, essential for students, are confiscated by the so-called Kosovo police. The University Library, housing over 15,000 titles, has been relocated from its premises. The self-proclaimed authorities in Pristina have halted construction of a new university building designed to accommodate the Rectorate and four faculties. Their decisions to abolish the dinar, close banks and post offices, and shut down Serbian institutions have caused numerous challenges for daily faculty operations—preventing exam registrations, tuition payments, and securing documentation for dormitories, student loans, and scholarships. Additionally, we often face intimidation and obstacles to extracurricular activities. This is just a fraction of the reality and conditions under which we live and study.”

They point out that these challenges are not recognized at the international level, and their voices go unheard.

“Our students deserve the same rights and opportunities for learning, growth, and skill development as students at any university in the rest of Serbia, Europe, and the world. We urge you, as future academic citizens, to support us and help spread this information widely. We believe that together we can make a difference and influence improvements in the conditions under which we live, educate ourselves, and work daily. We hope you will join us in supporting efforts to improve the situation in Kosovo and Metohija so that Serbian students can continue their academic education uninterrupted,” concludes the letter signed by the Student Vice-Rector of the University of Pristina, Jovana Smigic.