Serbian national broadcaster, RTS continues its serial focusing on usurped properties in Kosovo, featuring some of the cases.

Usurpation and fraudulent sales of displaced Serbs’ properties have been taking place for years in Kosovo and Metohija, thus denying the Serb population right to private property and return. There are more than 5000 cases related to Serb and other non-Albanian properties, while Free Legal Aid is presenting those affected before the local institutions.

Jovanovic family from Podujevo area was left without house and 7 hectares of land. Their household in the village of Zakut is being usurped and divided among their neighbours, RTS reports.

“The fact there are 12 proceedings, we are involved in for this client, shows how major this issue is. There are 6 criminal charges raised, 1 against unknown person, while 5 other are against persons of Albanian ethnicity. There are also 5 civic proceedings related to damages compensation,” Jelena Milosevic from Free Legal Aid told RTS.

Property belonging to Leposava Todorovic from Prizren was also usurped and then sold.

Leposava said she has a land plot and used to have one-floor house.

“After 2002 and in 2003, unknown people demolished the house and took the property. Now I am standing before the gate, and cannot enter inside,” she told RTS.

Free Legal Aid professionals are working on 229 cases in Prizren and told RTS a well-organized Albanian criminal groups are behind reselling of the properties.

“These criminal groups are stationed in Pec, Djakovica, Decane and Prizren. The biggest problem is they are that well organized so they involved in their network some notaries, certain cadastral offices and there is also a systematic support to their deeds,” Jasmina Zupnjac told RTS.

There are more than 2.500 Serbs displaced from Prizren who ended up in collective centres in Brezovica and they never returned to their homes.

They complained to RTS their security is endangered when they bring up the issue of usurped properties.

“When you go to claim your property, they allege that you are some kind of a war criminal, that you have done something against the so-called state of Kosovo,” Veljko Miladinovic told RTS.