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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Discrimination of non-Albanian communities in Kosovo-Metohija continues

Belgrade/Prizren, 10 December 2005

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day celebrated annually on December 10, Deputy Ombudsman for Kosovo-Metohija Ljubinko Todorovic said that the most frequently violated human rights of non-Albanian communities in Kosovo-Metohija are freedom of movement and accessibility of institutions of the system, followed with the problem of discrimination.

In a statement to the Beta news agency, Todorovic said that the discrimination is most conspicuous in realisation of property rights, since the problem of destroyed and plundered property dating back to 1999 has not been adequately solved and perpetrators found and punished.

He said that in spite of all that, some progress has been made in this area, since on the intervention of Ombudsman for Kosovo-Metohija Marek Nowicki, the UNMIK Police and Justice Department changed the previously made decision of not processing nearly 18 thousand cases concerning property issues that have been filed since 1999.

However, as Todorovic said, only 500 cases can be effectively and rapidly solved, while long processes await the rest of the cases.

Todorovic also expressed his dissatisfaction with the opportunities for non-Albanian communities to use their mother tongues.

"Wherever you go in Kosovo-Metohija, the only language you hear and see written is the language of the Albanian majority. UNMIK Regulation 2000/45, which explicitly prohibits the change of names of towns and cities, is constantly being breached, thus violating one of the essential rights. It is difficult for every community to bear witness to such things," said Todorovic.

He also mentioned that despite the existing regulations concerning the sector of primary, secondary and higher education in Kosovo-Metohija, deviations can be perceived in that sector as well.

"In some parts of Kosovo-Metohija, certain communities are denied the right to education in mother tongue, so they attend classes in the language of the Albanian majority. Such a situation is outrageous and equals discrimination that will almost certainly go down in history as such," concluded the Deputy Ombudsman for Kosovo-Metohija.