Kosovo company issues eviction notices to residents near Gazivode Lake

JP "Ibar-Lepenac" has intensified its campaign to remove structures near Gazivode Lake, issuing eviction notices to residents in villages like Rezale and Kovači. The company claims ownership of the land and is proceeding with a process that could lead to the demolition of over 20 properties in Kovači alone.

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There are two types of notices. The first is this one, which requests the submission of ownership documentation within seven days. People from Rezale have already brought this documentation. They were told that they do not decide, but that the decisions are made by the competent institutions.

The company's actions involve two distinct phases. Initially, residents are given seven days to submit ownership documents to prove their claims. However, even after submitting this documentation, some residents have been told that "Ibar-Lepenac" does not make the final decisions, with competent institutions holding that power.

The second, more severe phase involves a separate notice ordering property owners 15 days to vacate their premises before potential demolition. This follows the recent destruction of the "Jezero" hotel by "Ibar-Lepenac" workers, with the support of Kosovo Police. The acting Minister of Environment, Fitore Pacoli, announced that 17 objects had been removed and vowed to continue the operation "without compromise."

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The point is that they have continued. They are going from village to village. As in Rezal, it's not just weekend houses in Kovači. There are houses where people once lived, and it is possible that someone still lives in some of them today.

While "Ibar-Lepenac" director Faruk Mujka asserted that the removed structures were on company-owned land, property owners dispute the legality of the process, stating they were not presented with a legal basis for the demolitions. Legal aid lawyer Dragutin Nenezić, assisting some residents, noted that the company is moving from village to village, and the notices are not limited to weekend homes but also include houses where people have lived and may still be living.

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without compromise