A group of 34 displaced property owners from the cadastral area of Miroče and part of Gojbulja (Gojbujë) in the municipality of Vučitrn (Vushtrri) has issued their seventh appeal to domestic and international institutions, seeking assistance to finally regain control over their private property after 26 years of neglect.
According to their statements, since 2000, roughly 220 hectares of their land, including 14 completely destroyed households in Miroče (Miraçë), have been seized and continue to be exploited. Despite repeated appeals to local police, courts, institutions in Priština, and international missions such as EULEX, OSCE, and UNMIK, the issue remains unresolved.
In this latest communication—sent for the first time to international human rights organizations—they emphasize that all available legal and institutional mechanisms have been exhausted, and they are asking for guidance on whom to approach outside Belgrade and Priština to have their case investigated and resolved. They lament an “absolute silence” from all sides—Kosovo, Serbian, and international authorities alike.
They also express frustration with the media’s complete disregard, spanning regional outlets, Albanian-language media, and Serbian media in both Serbia and Kosovo.
“According to the mission and purpose of the authorities (local, higher, and international, particularly EULEX, OSCE, and UNMIK), we expected at least verification of our claims on the ground, or at least a response. They did not even bother to do that. We will never accept such an approach because we are seeking private property. We are accidental victims of systemic persecution on a national basis. We are only asking for a humane and professional approach,” the appeal reads.
The Appeal
Addressing authorities for the seventh time in three years, the owners detailed the scale of confiscation and ongoing exploitation: 14 households destroyed and now non-existent, 220 hectares of land, continuously exploited since 2000.
“We are perplexed and deeply concerned that despite all evidence and six previous petitions, our collective problem has not been addressed. For the first time, this appeal includes international human rights organizations. Nothing new can be added beyond stating that perpetrators continue to exploit our property without hindrance.”
They urge international institutions outside Belgrade and Priština to provide guidance:
Respond to us and advise how to approach international bodies to seek assistance. Current experience shows that EULEX, OSCE, and UNMIK have not made visible efforts to help, while higher authorities in Priština essentially abandoned cooperation after learning about the case. Even the Kosovo public prosecutor failed to act, despite requests and three urgencies.
The owners highlight that previous appeals requested verification by EULEX, OSCE, UNMIK, QUINT diplomatic missions in Belgrade, and competent local authorities, but all were ignored.
“We continue to speak the language of facts, without political or other background. We are powerless people asking for verification of our claims and for the perpetrators to be removed from our land.”
Facts and Evidence
The owners provide a chronology of abuse and institutional neglect:
1. Systematic confiscation by one Albanian family from nearby Karače village since 2000. They have seized, destroyed, and continuously exploited property in two Serbian villages, including 14 households in Miroče (Miraçë). Land use has been altered, orchards cut down, and a large cattle farm established. Agricultural subsidies from Priština are being claimed on this land.
2. Nationally motivated persecution: At least 90% of owners do not know the perpetrators personally. Property destruction is not linked to wartime actions or personal disputes—it reflects systemic abuse based on ethnicity.
3. Failed legal recourse: Since 2000, individual owners have petitioned local police and courts, but responses were ineffective. Authorities frequently ignored the collective nature of the problem, treating each parcel as a minor civil dispute, and failed to address the destruction of 14 households.
4. Appeals to higher authorities and international missions: Since 2022, owners have jointly sought assistance from Priština authorities and international organizations, including EULEX, OSCE, UNMIK, diplomatic missions, and Kosovo offices such as the Ministry for Return, Ombudsman, and Property Verification Agency. Despite providing comprehensive evidence, no meaningful action has been taken, while perpetrators continue exploiting the property.
5. Multi-generational obstacles: Many owners live in Serbian diaspora communities and fear initiating proceedings due to threats from perpetrators. The problem has worsened with the deaths of some owners, complicating inheritance and legal claims. Local Albanian lawyers refuse representation because the conflict is ethnic in nature and perpetrators have extensive criminal records. Even free legal aid has been undermined by court procedures.
“Several court rulings did not allow owners to regain property; the court focused on minor disputes over a few parcels, effectively giving amnesty to perpetrators.”
A Plea for Intervention
The Miroče (Miraçë) and Gojbulja (Gojbujë) owners ask:
Verification on the ground by international missions
Removal of perpetrators from their property
Guidance on where to escalate claims beyond Belgrade and Priština
“Given all the above, what more can ordinary citizens expect from local, higher, and international authorities who have not shown interest in resolving our problem? We will continue appeals to international bodies outside Belgrade and Priština and to human rights organizations, seeking help to regain control of our private property after 26 years.”
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
