Serbian Unity Congress dialogue with US Government on Decani cadastre case

July 2, 2008

Background of the Decani Cadastre Case: In 2001 the Decani municipal authorities altered the Decani monastery cadastre records in order to take away the monastery title to its lands. No due process was followed and this act was illegal.

In May of this year the KFOR authorities ruled that the municipality had to restore the monastery cadastral records to status quo ante by May 27th. The municipality did not restore the cadastral records but instead defied both its own government’s and the UN’s authority, by unanimously rejecting the ruling on June 4th and voting two UN Decani authorities personas non-grata, threatening and beating them. US government and UN officials as well as Decani monastery representatives have held discussions with the municipal authorities who continue to defy the order.

In meetings during the Serb Day in Washington SUC Board members discussed the cadastre case with government with representatives in Congress and the State Department. They expressed concern that the cadastre case is emblematic of a general lack of respect for the rule of law and violation of the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serb and other non-Albanian minorities in Kosovo and that unless perpetrators were brought to justice these rights would continue to be violated with impunity. In follow up letters to Senator Voinovich and other US representatives SUC requested a response on the status of conditions and mechanisms in Kosovo necessary for the protection of the rights mentioned. SUC is also looking further into possible similar illegal cadastre violations elsewhere in Kosovo. Concern was mutual.