Albanians usurp monastic lands in Zociste

ORAHOVAC - St. Cosmas and Damian's Monastery in Zociste near Orahovac in southern Kosovo-Metohija said Monday that an Albanian family has usurped monastery plots and that verbal provocations against the monks continue.

The statement, delivered to Tanjug, says that the brotherhood of the monastery have noticed recently that one of the members of the Albanian family Salja from the Zociste village has plowed and planted monastery plots, located near the monastery on the site called Bucina, without anyone’s permission.

The plots are two parcels of 19.8 and 12.3 ares owned by the monastery, as can be seen in the relevant documentation that teh monastery has, the statement says.

Besides, the beginning of the construction season and resumption of the work on the restoration of the monastery complex saw verbal provocations directed against the monastery brotherhood and monastery workers continue.

They pointed to an event of a few days ago when a group of Albanian children passing by the monastery shouted “KLA, KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army, former ethnic Albanian paramilitary organization)” in front of the monks and monastery workers.