Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Dušan Kozarev informed the participants of the OSCE Summit “Human dimension” about the problems that face the Serbs in Kosovo and presented numerous examples of endangering the fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms.
Speaking at a panel on “Fundamental freedoms, including freedom of movement,” Kozarev points out that the situation in Kosovo is still characterized by lack of physical and legal security for Serbs, especially for internally displaced persons that have returned or wish to return to their pre-war residences.
He warns that Serbs and IDPs are unable to participate in drafting the Law on Kosovo’s Agency for comparison and verification of assets, which is why the text is “unacceptable, and is the frightening example of an attempt of legalizing abduction of the Serbian property.”
– There are thousands of cases in which the Albanians with forged documents inscribed in the cadastre as the owners of the estate of internally displaced persons. Additionally, they provided no specific mechanisms for informing displaced persons about procedures that are carried out about their property – said Kozarev.
As another method to deter the return, especially in the region of Peć/Pejë, he stated the placement of information in the Kosovo media about indictments for war crimes against a number of Serb, by the rule, internally displaced persons who have applied for the return.
Also, the returnees, he said, are constantly exposed to attacks with the growing use of firearms and explosive devices, are recorded and frequent attacks on Orthodox cemeteries and memorial plaques of the abducted and killed civilians, and still are present attempts to prevent the IDPs to celebrate religious holidays, as was the case in Đakovica/Gjakovë and Mušutište.
– In particular, we draw attention to institutional attempts of seizure of property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija. On the buildings of the Serbian Orthodox Church continue to be printed ISIS graffiti, they are being looted and damaged. Serbia, among other things, for this reason, is leading a campaign to prevent admission of the self-proclaimed Kosovo to UNESCO – said Kozarev, announces the Office for KiM.
