The philosophical faculty rejects Appeals' decision on property on which the Orthodox Church is located

The heads of the philosophical faculty have reacted to the decision yesterday that the Court of Appeals, which has confirmed the Pristina Constitutional Court's decision to consider withdrawing the UP's land ownership indictment, where the Orthodox Church is located.

Full response:

Yesterday, in 13,11,2017, through public information tools, we were informed that the Court of Appeals has confirmed Pristina Foundation Court's decision to consider withdrawing the UP's land ownership indictment, where the so-called unfunctioned church is located. Information says that as a result of the non-participation of Pristina University representatives in court hearings, the court has ascertained, that this land remains owned by the Orthodox Church.

On behalf of the philosophical faculty, we reject this decision and consider it irresponsible of judiciary and leadership institutions the Rectorate and the University of Pristina Steering Council regarding this decision.

Our opposition is not an attempt for interference in the work of the judiciary, nor is it meant to violate the right to trust and religion of any community in the Republic of Kosovo and should not be understood as such.

That opposition has to do with the fact that, after the annulment of Kosovo's autonomy in 1989, Milosevic's violent Serbian power applied discrimination laws in relation to Kosovo Albanians in all respects, including property laws.

To remind the judiciary bodies in Kosovo, these discriminatory laws, which transformed social property without asking the real owners, were not even implemented by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Legislation of these illegal acts of the Milosevic era in the Pristina University property case, but in other similar cases, is a disgrace to the justice system in the Republic of Kosovo.

To all of them, Milosevic and Arkan's move to take over the university's land to illegally build a religious surrogacy, which does not divide and unite communities and is not in service even of the Orthodox community itself in the Republic of Kosovo, has been rejected even through indictments by Pristina University at this time run the Prof. Dr. Ejup Statovci during the 1990s, but also after the liberation when the UP's reactor was Prof. Dr. Major Rugova.

Without the responsibility of the Pristina University management in 2015, 17 is inlerable and not only does it not honor the UP, it damages the property and credibility of this institution's past, present and future of generations in Kosovo. Pristina University has been a source of ideas and actions of resistance to invaders and totalitarian regimes.

Today, it must be a contradiction to unjust acts that affect the future of student youth.

The philosophical faculty will not give up efforts, for the University of Pristina to manage with its property. We invite students, professors, and administrative staff not only to the philosophical faculty but also to other academic units, as well as all other actors in society, to make their contribution so that property theft is not allowed to choke university space by further actions. At the same time, we seek from the University of Pristina Steering Council, the Pristina municipality and the Kosovo Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to take joint and judicial co-ordination actions to save the Pristina University property and allow it to build other academic objects in the service of students and the future.