The municipality of Leposavic, with police assistance, took control of the town’s sports hall today, a facility that had been operating under Serbia’s system. The move has sparked another condemnation from Serbian officials.
The municipality of Leposavic, led by mayor Lulzim Hetemi, has taken over management of the local sports hall previously operated under the Serbian system. The operation was conducted with the assistance of Kosovo Police, who confirmed their involvement for KoSSev.
„We only provided support to the municipal leadership in assuming control of the municipal sports hall in Leposavic,“ said Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North Region. He noted that the takeover occurred approximately one hour before his statement but could not confirm whether the locks on the building had been changed.
Deputy Mayor Marina Bogojević stated that the municipality had assumed only administrative control over the facility, not the building itself. She said that all existing usage arrangements would remain in place, including staff and scheduling for schools and clubs.
„The workers stay, the time slots for students and coaches stay – everything remains the same, except the management, which now belongs to the municipality,“ Bogojević told KoSSev. She identified the previous operator as the Sports and Tourism Organization of Leposavic, functioning under the Serbian system.
Bogojević did not respond to follow-up questions after the call was interrupted.
The current director of the hall, Marko Radosavljević, told KoSSev that municipal representatives informed him that from now on, employees must operate within Kosovo’s institutional framework in order to continue working. He also reported that new locks were being installed and that Kosovo authorities had introduced new security personnel at the facility.
„Although they said we could come to work freely, they’re changing the locks as we speak, and I highly doubt they’ll give us the keys. They’ve brought in their own guards,“ Radosavljević said. According to him, all Serbian flags were removed from the premises, replaced with Kosovo flags, and a sign reading “Republic of Kosovo” was installed.
This is the latest in a series of similar actions. On May 15, Kosovo authorities took over the sports hall in North Mitrovica under comparable circumstances. Over the past two weeks, nine such facilities have been taken over, impacting at least 12 departments previously operating under Serbian structures.
According to available records, at least 74 institutions affiliated with Serbia have ceased functioning in majority-Serb areas of Kosovo since 2012.
In a parallel move, Kosovo Police have begun issuing verbal warnings at border crossings, stating that Serbian-issued ID cards for Kosovo cities will soon be invalid.
The takeover has drawn criticism from Serbian officials. Petar Petković, Director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, said the hall was built with funding from the Serbian government and regularly used by local children, students of the Faculty of Physical Education, and sports clubs. He described the action as illegal and a continuation of pressure on the Serb population.
“This is a new escalatory move by Kurti aimed at destabilizing the situation on the ground and targeting Serbian children and youth,” Petković stated, adding that the removal of the Serbian flag and the installation of symbols of Kosovo’s institutions constituted a forceful and unlawful seizure of property.
The Serbian List issued a similar response, calling the move a continuation of the “persecution of Serbs and all things Serbian” in northern Kosovo. The party claimed that such actions disrupt daily life and deprive young people of essential spaces for sport, education, and socialization.
The Serbian Democracy Party condemned the takeover of the sports hall in Leposavić by what it calls an „illegitimate administration,“ claiming it deprives local children of access to sports and recreation. The party also alleged that Leposavić Mayor Lulzim Hetemi threatened their local official, Vladimir Radosavljević, during a peaceful whistle protest. According to the party, Radosavljević and a colleague have filed a police report and are seeking a response from prosecutors and international institutions.
Kosovo authorities have not yet issued a public statement on the event.
The mayor was contacted for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
