Kosovo Serb Villagers Stage Camp Protest to Stop Land Expropriation

Residents of the Serb-majority northern Kosovo municipality of Leposavic have been taking shifts since February, camping in a tent on a road that leads to the village of Dren, trying to stop heavy machinery from restarting construction of a police station on expropriated land in the village.

Three Kosovo police vehicles are placed near the citizens' tent to supervise and maintain security.

The protest action comes after the Kosovo government in January and February decided to expropriate land in Leposavic despite citizens deeming the decisions illegal. 

At a meeting with the Kosovo Ombudsperson, Naim Qelaj, on Thursday, a lawyer for some of the residents, Nebojsa Vlajic, claimed the expropriation law had been violated. 

"All the decisions are mysterious despite being published on the official website [of the government] because they do not specify what will be constructed," Vlajic said, claiming that it cannot be determined whether a public interest exists if what will be constructed is not specified. 

Human rights being violated, citizens claim

Kosovo Ombudsperson Naim Qelaj (second left) at the town hall meeing with Leposavic residents on March 9, 2023. Photo: BIRN/Adelina Ahmeti

Kosovo Ombudsperson Qelaj met the residents of Leposavic to see the situation first hand before he reviews three complaints he received on the land expropriation.

"Transparency is the first thing you declare that is missing" from the government's decision, Qelaj told the citizens in Leposavic, listing additional concerns such as "lawfulness and implementation of legal procedures, public discussion as a form of transparency and general interest as one of the principles that that guides every action of public authorities".

On January...