Energy Company Urged to Drop Lawsuits Against Kosovo Activists

The Kelkos hydropower plant on the Lumbardhi river in Kosovo. Photo: BIRN.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Monday called on Kelkos Energy, a company that operates hydropower plants in a protected area in western Kosovo, to withdraw two lawsuits against two activists who have spoken out against the environmental impact of the projects, Shpresa Loshaj and Adriatik Gacaferi.

Amnesty International said that Loshaj and Gacaferri are facing "baseless defamation lawsuits which are designed to intimidate and silence them" because of their campaign.

"Shpresa Loshaj and Adriatik Gacaferi have campaigned tirelessly to raise concerns about the environmental impact of hydropower plants in the protected Decan region. These activists are bravely standing up for their communities and their environment, and Kelkos Energy's lawsuits appear to be a cynical attempt to silence them," said Jelena Sesar, Western Balkans researcher at Amnesty International.

Kelkos Energy, which is a subsidiary of the Austria-based public energy provider Kelag International, told Amnesty International that the lawsuits were a measure of last resort to defend themselves against "slanderous statements" in court.

The company denied that their lawsuits were Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation or SLAPPs, which are increasingly used by governments and corporations around the world to muzzle critics.

"We are calling on Kelkos Energy to withdraw these lawsuits, and on Kosovar authorities to ensure that environmental defenders can express their concerns without fear of reprisal."

Loshaj, founder of the NGO Pishtaret, and Gacaferri, a local activist from Decan/Decani, have been two of most vocal campaigners against the hydropower projects.