Kosovo Govt Moves to Expropriate Land in North Despite Protests

Kosovo's government decided on Thursday to approve expropriation of property for infrastructure projects "of public interest" in the Serb-majority north despite locals protesting earlier that day that such decisions were illegal.

The government took two decisions in an electronic meeting. The first authorized the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure "to carry out preparatory work for determining the potential suitability of one or more parcels of real estate for the realization of 'Infrastructure Projects for Public Interest', Cadastral Areas: Dren and Lesak/Leshak, Leposavic Municipality".

The second was "on the further consideration of the request … for expropriation for public interest of real estate properties, which are necessary for the realization of 'Infrastructural Projects for Public Interest'," in Leposavic and Zubik Potok.

Locals in the village of Dren in Leposavic protested earlier on Thursday against the planned expropriation of properties.

On January 16, the government declared several "real estate properties of special public interest, which are necessary for the realization of 'Infrastructural Projects for Public Interest'", in Dren and Lesak/Leshak villages in the Serb-majority municipality of Leposavic.

Local on Thursday protested against the expansion of a road in Dren. Local Serbian language media Kosovo Online reported that the protesters managed to halt work on the road, but only temporarily.

Kosovo Online cited a local Serb saying: "It is not enough that the machines have been turned off and the work has stopped. We want the machines and members of the Special Police Unit to withdraw. The decision should be canceled and let us live our lives in peace, as we have lived until...