A Voice For the Voiceless

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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

“You are Albanian and you have to go where you came from”

Report from the action of solidarity with Ljiljana Nedzib Mitrovic

On December 6, 2007, I witnessed the destruction Ljiljana Nedzib Mitrovic’s house on Gavrilo Princip Street.  The house had belonged to Ljiljana Nedzib Mitrovic since her birth in 1959. She and her two children were evicted onto the street without being provided other living arrangements. This act was carried out by the Government of the Savski Venac Municipality with help from the presiding Belgrade city, and with the assistance of the Department of Internal Affairs of the same municipality.

When I arrived at the house with representatives of Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, we found two police officers in uniform, one representative from the Municipality of Savski Venac, one representative from investors, as well as four construction workers. I approached the representative from the municipality and asked, “Why are you expelling this woman onto the street without a permit for destruction, and without providing alternative living accommodation for her?” One policeman approached and asked me the purpose of my visit, and who I represent. He asked for my ID, looked at me and told me: “You work with Women in Black, I know you; I’ve been several times to your office, on Jug. Bogdana Street.”

Since the investors’ representative was in a hurry to proceed with the demolition, we were told to move aside, or they would take us to the police station. Other people, unlike Ljiljana, whose houses were also marked for destruction, were financially compensated. She was expelled onto the street on the basis of “illegal construction” without the consent of the municipality. The house was built by her father, and Ljiljana has lived there since her birth in 1959.

This matter is in the midst of being resolved legally through the Second Municipal Court in Belgrade; therefore, there is a court order banning destruction (or any action) until the final ruling of the court is completed. Employees of the Savski Venac Municipality decided to violate these legal proceedings and Ljiljana’s rights’ by demolishing the house before the final decision of the court is made. Ljiljana’s lawyer told me that in some earlier negotiations Ljiljana received an offer of compensation from the investor. However, when the investor found out that Ljiljana’s father was Albanian he told her: “You are Albanian and you should go to where you came from.”

A few more policemen arrived and ordered the beginning of the demolition. Ljiljana, her son, and her cousin, locked themselves inside the house. We then heard Ljiljana’s voice: “You can blow us up with the house, because we have no other place to go.” The policemen broke through the door, arrested Ljiljana, and took her to the police station. We were kicked off the street and warned that they would take us to the police station as well if we continued to obstruct the demolition.

The home of Ljiljana Nedzib Mitrovic, and her family, was destroyed today on the basis of illegal construction. The house was built 30 years ago, before the law in question (about planning and construction) was passed.  The land where Ljiljana’s family home was located is now part of a construction site for 4200 square meters of commercial and housing units.  Meanwhile, Ljiljana and her family are living on the street. This demonstrates yet another “major project” which is more important to local authorities and the state, than basic human rights such as the right to live.

This is yet another case of repression of Albanian citizens, but this time it is done by the Savski Venac Municipality and the City of Belgrade, who decided to act as a higher body than the Serbian courts and the Serbian state.

Belgrade, December 6, 2007.

Women in Black
Ljiljana Radovanovic

The Advocacy Project
1326 14th Street NW
Washington DC 20005
phone: +1 202-332-3900
fax: +1 202-332-4600