Five Serb houses demolished in Kosovo town

Five Serb houses demolished in Kosovo town

By destroying the Serb houses, extremist Albanians sent a clear, but very bad message that they do not want to see Serbs in the area of Đakovica, Đurić said.

Headded that representatives of the international community and the interim institutions in Kosovo, who were in charge of security there, were responsible for the acts of violence. “We expect and demand from the international community and interim institutions in Priština to prevent such things from happening,” Đurić said.

Đurić pointed out that Đakovica had been home to some 12,500 Serbs up until 1999 while today, none of them are able to return to their homes.

The president of an association gathering Serbs from Đakovica, Đokica Stanojević, was quoted as saying that the houses in the Serb (Srpska) Street belonged to the Stefić family, and were demolished with the use of heavy machinery on the orders of Mayor Mimoza Kusari Lila.

"The Stefić family lived in, and built both Đakovica and the Serb Street. The houses were demolished yesterday on an important (Orthodox) holiday. They destroyed private property, and wished to represent family homes as supposed prison premises," he stressed.

"Regardless of this demolition, Serbs from Đakovica and from Metohija must be persistent, strong, and belive that justice will come," he said, and announced that a criminal complaint would be filed against the mayor.

The RTV KIM broadcaster from Kosovo said it learned unofficially that the municipality was asked to tear down the homes "by tenants who live nearby, for fear the structures might fall down on passers-by."