Demolition of 11 Buildings in Ujman, Experts: Law Must Be Enforced Regardless of Ethnicity

The demolition by Kosovo authorities of 11 unauthorized houses in the Ujman Lake area has continued to be a subject of public debate, prompting reactions both within the country and from international representatives.

The demolition of the buildings began on Tuesday, using excavators and with the assistance of the Kosovo Police. According to the institutions, the buildings had been erected on public property belonging to the “Ibër-Lepenc” Public Hydro-Economic Enterprise.

Faruk Mujka, chief executive of “Ibër-Lepenc,” told the newspaper “Bota Sot” yesterday that the plots on which the buildings stood have belonged to the enterprise since 1973. He explained that the land was expropriated at the time for the construction of Ujman Lake.

Mujka said that actions to clear public property would continue whenever encroachments or unauthorized construction are identified, regardless of the ethnicity of those involved.

The developments also prompted reactions from the international community. The European Union Office in Kosovo expressed concern and regret over the authorities’ decision and called on the institutions to halt the demolition.

The German and British embassies in Kosovo took a similar position. Both raised questions about whether due legal process had been followed in this case and in other similar cases in the north of the country.

Security expert Adem Lushaj told “Bota Sot” that the intervention should be assessed in the context of the rule of law and the protection of public property. According to him, when institutions act after following procedures and in accordance with the law, they are fulfilling a state obligation, and the matter should therefore not be treated on the basis of ethnicity or political interests.

Lushaj said the operation to remove unauthorized buildings near Ujman Lake should be viewed, first and foremost, as the enforcement of the law and the protection of public property. If all due procedures were followed, he said, the intervention constitutes an obligation of the state and should not be judged according to the ethnicity of the individuals involved or political interests.

Commenting on the international reaction, he described the effort to preserve stability and avoid tensions as understandable. However, Lushaj stressed that long-term stability is not built by tolerating violations, but by enforcing the law equally throughout Kosovo.

According to him, this case should encourage the institutions to apply the same standard in other areas of the country, particularly in protected areas and national parks. He mentioned the Accursed Mountains and the Šar Mountains, where unauthorized construction and interventions damaging the environment and public property have been identified over the years.

Lushaj emphasized that nature and public property cannot be protected selectively, but must be subject to the same rules for everyone. Only through such an approach, he said, can public trust in institutions be increased and a state governed by the rule of law be built, in which the law is respected without exception.

Political analyst Zejnullah Jakupi also considered the demolition of the unauthorized buildings justified, provided that the authorities acted on the basis of legal procedures and decisions by the competent bodies. He warned that any illegal construction on public property creates a dangerous precedent because it weakens respect for the law and harms the public interest.

Speaking to “Bota Sot,” Jakupi called on the institutions to be transparent, guarantee equal treatment for everyone and leave no room for the impression that the law is being applied selectively or for political reasons. According to him, interventions in sensitive areas such as northern Kosovo must be accompanied by institutional care and clear communication.

According to Jakupi, the European Union’s reaction should be understood as a call for restraint, dialogue and transparency, given the political and security sensitivities in the area. He said the call to halt the operation should not be interpreted as opposition to the rule of law, but as a request for its enforcement to be coordinated and transparent and not to cause new tensions.

Jakupi said the case sends the message that the rule of law must apply without distinction and that public property must be protected from encroachment or illegal use. At the same time, the institutions must demonstrate that they act professionally, fairly and impartially, because only in this way can democracy and public trust be strengthened.

He called for a balance to be maintained between the public interest and individual rights. The right to private property, as one of the fundamental rights, must always be respected as long as it is exercised within legal boundaries. However, he said, it cannot be used to infringe upon public property, shared spaces or rules that apply to everyone.

If a building was erected without a permit or is located on public property, Jakupi said the institutions have an obligation to enforce the law even when they encounter opposition from owners or users. In a state governed by the rule of law, he said, decision-making cannot be dictated by immediate pressure or resistance, but must be based on procedures, transparency and the right to appeal.

According to the analyst, the same rules must apply to all citizens, regardless of the area or circumstances. Enforcing the law and protecting public property do not conflict with individual rights; on the contrary, they ensure that everyone is protected fairly and equally.

Jakupi stressed that the European Union has an important role in overseeing such processes, particularly in sensitive areas such as northern Kosovo. According to him, this monitoring should ensure that the law is applied fairly and without violating anyone’s rights, including those of the Serb community.

In conclusion, he said the assessment of the operation should not be based solely on political perceptions, but on facts, documents and legal procedures. If Kosovo’s institutions acted in accordance with the law and respected citizens’ procedural rights, then the enforcement of legal decisions and the protection of public property are part of the normal functioning of a democratic state.

Jakupi concluded in his comments to “Bota Sot” that the EU’s most constructive approach would not be merely to call for the action to be suspended. According to him, the European Union should monitor the process, verify the facts and ensure that the law is applied equally to everyone, regardless of ethnicity or affiliation.