Frankfurt, July 23, 2015
Pristina aims to become a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) while its government is simultaneously depriving the Serbian Orthodox Church’s (SPC) monastery, the 14th century-old Visoki Decani, of its right to property, the Frankfurt-based Serbian language daily Frankfurtske Vesti said on Thursday.
The court order the daily had an insight into, states that over 23 ha of land in the allegedly law-protected special zone has been confiscated from the monastery Visoki Decani.
The Daily also notes that the litigation regarding monastery’s property started 15 years ago and that the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kosovo had first reached a decision in monastery’s favor.
However, the Chamber revoked this decision in 2012 stating that it is not under its jurisdiction and referred the parties to the Primary Court in Pec which then renewed the case.
This court reached a decision on July 8 by which the monastery’s 23 ha of land were to be confiscated, the daily states and adds that this decision was made under pressure and threat and that even a bribe was offered after which three local judges outvoted the two international ones.
Neither the SPC nor the Republic of Serbia (also a party in the litigation) has the right to file a complaint on this verdict signed by the judges’ chairman, Sahit Sulejmani. The monastery’s final resort is the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.
