Demolition of 'illegal facilities' in Kosovo continues, Belgrade is silent

The demolition of alleged illegal structures continues around Lake Gazivoda in Kosovo, while Belgrade remains silent. Since April this year, the lake in Zubin Potok has once again become a focal point of public attention after the Kosovo-based company "Ibar Lepenac" launched an initiative called "liberation of property," claiming several buildings were constructed on land they assert belongs to them. Owners of these properties, mostly vacation homes, have been given a 15-day deadline to vacate their properties before demolition began. Yesterday, new requests for proof of ownership were sent to owners of vacation homes near the lake in the village of Vukojević. According to reports from Zubin Potok INFO, up to ten new requests were issued. Particularly concerning are the accounts of some residents in the area around Lake Gazivoda who claim they were verbally threatened with having their houses demolished despite possessing documentation that the Kosovar authorities do not recognize. According to the company's claims, 16 structures have already been destroyed along the lake. In addition, the Inspectorate of the Kosovo Forestry Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development sealed off several vacation homes along the shores of Lake Gazivoda near Međeđem Potok in Zubin Potok on July 23. Previously, they had taken over the camp "Rezala." The request delivered to the owners of the vacation homes stated that within seven days, they must present land registry extracts, purchase agreements, or any other documents proving ownership. A few days earlier, similar demands were made to the owners of properties in Rezala. Lake Gazivoda (Ujman) represents a strategically important location, with 75 percent of its territory lying within the municipality of Zubin Potok. The hydroelectric plant there provides electricity to all Serbs in northern Kosovo. Serbia allocated 45 million euros for its construction. However, the hydroelectric plant is owned by EPS, although the Kosovar government insists that ownership belongs to them. Owners of the motel and bar "Jezero" were also ordered to "vacate the property," which the company claims was illegally occupied. This morning, workers from the company arrived at the motel accompanied by Kosovar police and cordoned off the area, confirmed the owners for Zubin Potok INFO. Demolition has already begun. The family managing the bar on the beach filed a criminal complaint against the company director Faruk Mujki, and a civil proceeding was also initiated. They proposed to the court issuing a temporary order prohibiting any destruction or alteration of the current state until the dispute over ownership is resolved. Despite this, demolition began today. Jordan Jakšić, owner of the motel, expressed disappointment with the actions. "We did not expect this, as we filed a lawsuit against the company Ibar-Lepenac. We learned yesterday that the deadline was set for August 12, so we hoped the judicial process would be completed and a decision made," he said. The minister of environment and spatial planning, Fitore Pacolli, announced that 17 structures have been destroyed so far around the lake, and the action will continue and expand to other parts of Kosovo, according to Koha. "Demolition of illegally built structures on public land continues. So far, 17 objects/villas have been destroyed around the lake. This action will continue without compromise and will also expand to other parts of Kosovo with the aim of protecting public property and implementing legislation," she wrote on Facebook. Ten years ago, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić loudly and boldly declared that "he does not give Gazivoda." Moving to today, Kosovar authorities fully control the lake, while Belgrade remains silent. The only call to prevent the demolition of structures comes not from Belgrade, but from the European Union, which warns that the rule of law is at risk. The European Union has indeed urged the authorities in Pristina to halt further demolitions, forced removals of structures, and seizure of property in the Gazivoda area until unresolved issues related to respect for legal procedures are addressed.