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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Seizure of Serb property in Kosovo must be stopped

Belgrade, 27 April 2005

The Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija today urged the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union to take urgent measures to stop the latest action of seizing property from the non-Albanian population in the province, which is developing under the auspices of UNMIK's justice department and the scandalous guise of "court decisions".

Seizure of Serb property in Kosovo must be stopped

The Coordinating Centre warned that some ethnic Albanians have started filing complaints in Kosovo courts against Serbs and other non-Albanians for the sake of establishing property rights. With the explanation that the current address of those Serbs and non-Albanians is unknown, the court appoints their "provisional defence attorneys".

At the end of a short court proceeding, the provisional defence attorney, who is paid by the ethnic Albanian pressing the charges and not the court, declares that he doesn't have any objections to the complaint, so the plaintiff quickly and easily becomes the owner of the property of refugees and displaced persons, the Coordinating Centre said in a statement.

The Coordinating Centre is pushing for action on this issue as they say that this latest attack against those displaced from Kosovo-Metohija and their property is taking place with the full knowledge and approval of the representatives of the international community.

The Coordinating Centre believes that the court decisions on the confiscation of the property of non-Albanians must be revoked, it is said in the statement.