Workers from the Ibar-Lepenac company, accompanied by Kosovo Police, entered a Red Cross building near Gazivode Lake today in a move that has ignited sharp criticism from Serbia’s Kosovo Office.
The operation was confirmed by Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, who told KoSSev that police were assisting the company.
According to Elshani, several people who were in the building left the premises voluntarily.
He added that Ibar-Lepenac claims ownership of the facility and plans to take it over.
KoSSev reached out to Ibar-Lepenac for further clarification regarding the company’s ownership claims and the takeover of the property. However, a company representative said the executive director was in a meeting and unavailable for comment.
Serbian Office for Kosovo: “Attack on the Foundations of Serbian Survival”
The Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija swiftly condemned the operation, accusing Kosovo authorities of using force to seize Serbian property.
“Kurtis’s armed Kosovo Police have stormed the Red Cross facility ‘Dragiša Murganić’ in Zubin Potok, located at Gazivode Lake,” the Office said in a statement.
They allege that the building’s security personnel were not allowed to accompany officers during the inspection, “leaving ample room for manipulation by Kurti’s phalanx.”
The Office emphasized that the building had been used exclusively for humanitarian and educational purposes — including first aid training, rescue exercises, sports events, lectures, and accommodations for tourists and athletes. It had also hosted regular meetings with KFOR representatives, particularly from the German contingent.
“There has never been any dispute regarding this facility — except for Kurti’s intent to seize it by force,” the statement read. The Office further labeled the action as “an attack on the very foundations and existence of the Serbian people in Kosovo,” announcing plans to alert international representatives.
Media Allegations of Terrorist Activity; Petković: Unfounded Reports
In a report published three days ago, KosovaPress described the center as “a shelter for terrorists from Civil Protection.”
The article alleged that while the facility was presented as a Center for Ecology and Sports Development – „evidence showed a different reality,” that is, that the center reportedly served as a weapons depot and surveillance base.
The Serbian Office for Kosovo responded to the report, calling it “unfounded and tendentious,” and suggested it was a prelude to the current operation.
“It’s particularly telling that Albanian media ran a campaign to discredit the facility just days before the unlawful and violent seizure,” the Office stated.
A Symbolic Site
The building, originally presented as a multi-functional center co-managed by the Red Cross of Kosovo and Metohija, was inaugurated in 2018 with a 1.4 million euro investment from the Serbian government.
During his visit, President Vučić highlighted its significance for the youth of Zubin Potok and hinted at broader economic development plans around the Gazivode Lake area.
The takeover comes amid a broader wave of closures and seizures of Serbian-run institutions across northern Kosovo. Just last week, nine facilities — including water utilities, sports centers, a cultural society, a museum, and the National Employment Service — were shut down over a four-day span.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
