Deçan, June 16, 2016 – Radio Kosovo.
Deçan citizens protest a Kosovo Constitutional Court decision that legalized a 1997 Milošević-era land transfer to the Deçan Monastery.
On the 17th anniversary of liberation, thousands gathered to oppose what they call an unjust ruling affecting 24 hectares of land. Kosovo Constitutional Court Legalizes Milošević-Era Decision. The town of Deçan marked the 17th anniversary of its liberation with a mass public protest, opposing the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo to transfer ownership of 24 hectares of land to the Deçan Monastery.
The land previously belonged to the socially owned enterprises Iliria and Apiko.
This was the second large-scale protest, organized by Deçan Mayor Rasim Selmanaj and the Municipal Commission, composed of representatives from all political parties.
The Court’s ruling effectively legalized a 1997 decision of the Serbian government, issued under Slobodan Milošević, granting the same land to the monastery.
Speaking before thousands of protesters, Mayor Selmanaj declared that the monastery would never gain ownership of the disputed land while facing resistance from over 60,000 citizens.
“I publicly call on Sava Janjić to distance himself from the crimes of Milošević and to renounce the gifts of that criminal regime. As mayor, and as a municipality, we do not accept and will not implement this decision. It violates law, justice, and the interests of Deçan’s citizens—and it is an injustice to the blood of our sons and daughters,” Selmanaj stated.
Historian Selim Lokaj warned Kosovo’s institutions that citizens were exhausted and that any escalation would be the responsibility of those in power.
“As the saying goes: whoever plays with fire will be the first to be burned,” Lokaj told Radio Kosovo.
Opposition to the ruling extended beyond Kosovo. Azgan Haklaj, President of the Albanian Artistic Union, and Can Tahiri, head of the Albanian Lobby for Europe, traveled from Tropoja to join the protest.
Citizens: “History alone is enough to put things in their place”.
A Deçan resident, Nysret, urged the Constitutional Court, the Kosovo government, and the Deçan Monastery to revisit historical facts.
“History alone is enough to put things in their place. Otherwise, there will never be peace,” he said.
The protest reflected widespread resistance across Deçan and Albanian territories, highlighting unresolved tensions over land ownership, historical justice, and institutional legitimacy in post-war Kosovo.
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