Fifteen days after the Kosovo government decided to expropriate land in the municipality of Leposavic for „the implementation of infrastructure projects,” KP lieutenant colonel Veton Elshani confirmed that a border police station is being built on those same land parcels. Elshani announced the news on Wednesday from the site of road widening works leading to the expropriated plots. The president of the Leposavic Provisional Authority, Zoran Todic, made the same allegations in a statement for KoSSev. Todic also visited the location and sent a request that the works be stopped immediately.
Since yesterday morning, several citizens stated for KoSSev that they noticed heavy machinery being used to build a road in the village of Dren, and that the site was secured by dozens of members of the special units of the Kosovo Police.
In the meantime, some media outlets, including RTS, reported that citizens had gathered on the field to „peacefully“ protest.
President of the Leposavic PA and former Mayor, Zoran Todic, as well as the former head of the Kosovo-Mitrovica district and former member of the Kosovo Assembly, Slavko Simic, visited the site.
Todic confirmed for Kossev that road widening works are underway which lead to the recently expropriated land in the cadastral zone of Dren and that members of the special units of the Kosovo Police are present at the scene.
He stressed that no one had been informed about the works in advance. Todic underscored that the locals and he himself submitted a request to the police to urgently stop the works as the local population objects to a police base being built near their homes.
When first unofficial information arrived about the works in the north, Kosovo Portal reached out to the Central Directorate of the Kosovo Police, as well as to the spokespersons of both the police and the Kosovo government. By the time the news was published, no response had been received.
The Kosovo Police of the north region did not have any information about the works in the municipality of Leposavic yesterday morning. They specified that they are not involved in this case, and referred us to the Central Directorate.
Kosovo Police Lieutenant Colonel Veton Elshani addressed the media crews who were present on the scene, saying that the police officers are there to enforce the decision of the Kosovo government regarding the expropriation.
Elshani confirmed that a border police station will be constructed on the expropriated land, thus confirming the suspicions of the residents of the north.
He said that members of the police are only guarding the works carried out by the construction company, adding that he spoke to the locals and their representatives who shared their concerns.
„We understand them, but orders are orders and we have to implement the government’s decision,“ he argued.
He added that the residents of Leposavic expressed concern over the fact that the expropriated land includes an Orthodox cemetery.
„It’s some kind of technical error. During the works, we will see what we can do,“ he said, adding that a minimum number of policemen will be present on the construction site.
Petkovic: „Kurti with heavy machinery and special police started illegal works on Serb land in the municipality of Leposavic“
The Head of the Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, reacted yesterday morning, announcing that the works have begun on plots in the villages of Lesak and Dren expropriated by the Kosovo government by the decision of January 16th.
Albin Kurti with heavy machinery and special police started illegal works on Serb land in the Leposavic municipality
The road-widening works have been initiated on the road in the hamlet of Zaselje, connecting the main road to the top of the expropriated hill.
Petkovic claims that „the land is being seized“ and that „a new usurpation of Serb land“ is at hand. He revealed that he informed all international representatives, as well as the mediator in the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, about the matter.
At the same time, he warned that the plan is to „demolish the Serbian cemetery in order to build an illegal police base.“
„I presented a clear request that the international representatives stop Kurti’s new unilateral moves in the north and the illegal works in the municipality of Leposavic, by which Serb land is being seized and the demolition of a Serbian cemetery is also being planned in order to construct a new illegal police base.“
The Kosovo government passed a decision at a session held on January 16th to declare the immovable property in the cadastral zones Dren and Lesak of special public interest for “the implementation of infrastructure projects of public interest,” without sharing further details.
According to KoSSev’s findings, the government decided to expropriate over 80ha of land in two cadastral zones – the villages of Dren and Lesak, both privately-owned and state-owned land. Although the land covers two cadastral zones, the satellite view reveals that it is actually one huge piece of land, which includes a village cemetery.
The municipality of Leposavic confirmed for KoSSev that around 25 ha is privately-owned, while about 57 ha are owned by the “Ibar” company.
On the very same day KoSSev published a text on the expropriation of land in Leposavic, the president of the PA of the municipality, as well as the vice-president of Srpska Lista, held a meeting with the owners of these land parcels. They underlined that Kurti is thus “seizing Serb land” and carrying out legal violence, alleging that the expropriation is not in line with the law.
They revealed that they have agreed with the owners to hire a legal team to file an appeal against this “illegal decision that seizes Serb land by legal violence.”
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
