“Krusevci citizens after calls for boycott of Albanian oven

That is how Dragana from Krusevci comments on the call for boycotting a bakery in this central Serbian city, which is owned by an Albanian.

Speaking of Radio Free Europe, she says she knows the owner of the furnace and his family, which she describes as good and fair “ ”.

They came here long before the war (1998-1999). What does it matter to be Albanian? Should we be against him only for this reason? We boycott Albanians here (in Serbia), they boycott Serbs in Kosovo... I don't understand why this has to happen. Let the people live”, Dragana says.

During the past weekend, on a pillar near the bakery, an unknown person placed a poster with insulting and discriminated against.

Remember Gazimestan! Don't buy from Scyptari. The word disparaging for Albanians]” was written in the poster, which, meanwhile, was removed from public space.

What happened in Gazimestan?

On June 28th, during Vidovdan's marking in Gazimestan é near Pristina, Kosovo Police detained 37 people, while 36 of them -- mainly from Serbia and other countries in the region -- were prosecuted before the court.

They were sentenced to expulsion from Kosovo, a three-year entry ban and fines, as Kosovo cheered “is Serbia”, raising three fingers.

According to the Constitutional Court's decision in Pristina, these were praised as nationalist messages.

Later, claims were shown in the opinion that some of the detainees were psychologically and physically abused by members of the Kosovo Police.

Radio Free Europe failed to verify these claims independently.

Kosovo's Police Inspectorate announced it will review them on official duty.

Kosovo's Ombudsman institution also launched investigations, under official duty, for the same claims.

The call for boycotting the Albanian-owned furnace in Krusevc prompted reactions from local authorities, the opposition and Serbia's Ombudsman.

residents of Krushevci, with whom the Radio Free Europe team spoke near the furnace, located about a mile from the city center, also condemned discrimination on ethnic grounds.

Bojan believes Serbs in Kosovo also face different forms of discrimination, but stresses that calls for boycotting an Albanian-owned furnace in Serbia would not improve their lives.

This is crazy”, he says briefly.

Danijela says she had not seen the post office with a call for boycott, but adds that even if she had seen it, she would not have changed her attitude and would continue to buy in that oven, because, as it puts it, “I don't care about the incites of hatred”.

Why should we see who belongs to which nation? I don't understand what that means. Just provoke and disturb people”, she says.

“Persecution cannot become normal”

The opposition movement of Free Citizens was the first to highlight the discriminatory poster in Krushevc on July 4th, warning that specific people are being exposed to “pression, persecution and possible violence”.

Ksenija Bradic Velovic, a member of Krushevci's Municipal Assembly from this party, tells Radio Free Europe that any form of persecution on ethnic grounds should not become normal and that discrimination should be stopped early.

It shows that it was the very one who informed the owner of the oven of the post office, but that he had not seemed concerned or afraid.

It was probably the first time he faced something like that. He told me his family lived here for 50 years. His grandfather was the first to come to Krushevc and they lived and worked here honestly”, says Bradiff Velovic.

According to her, nationalism is still present in Serbian society, and for that reason it should react to any of its performances, however small it may be.

The fact that a man in Krushevc is persecuted and threatened by existence will not solve political problems or the status of Serbs in Kosovo. It won't solve someone's frustrations either, because an ordinary citizen cannot be held accountable for the consequences of wrong policies”, she says.

Local Authorities Respond

The Krusevci municipality on 7 July condemned any calls for discrimination, widespread hatred, and inciting division among citizens.

Through a communique, she said Krushevci has always been a secure city for both those born there and those who have come to live, work, or visit.

For centuries we have built a spirit of mutual respect, tolerance and coexistence. For this reason, such isolated actions do not represent either Krushevc and its residents”, it was said in response.

Local authorities called on responsible institutions to clear the case quickly, identify the author and clarify the motives of the move.

Serbia's Ombudsman, Zoran Pashalic, also demanded that competent bodies urgently investigate the positioning of the poster with the content of hatred against members of the Albanian national minority and that those responsible be identified and followed by law.

Serbia's Ministry of Interior Affairs and the High Public Prosecutor in Krushevc did not answer Radio Free Europe questions about the actions they have taken in the case.

This is not the first case when Albanian families in Serbia become a target of pressure.

In mid-February, police imposed increased security measures near Albanian-owned furnaces in Surdulica, southern Serbia, following protests caused by increasing interethnic tensions.

They erupted after a city resident lost his life in a traffic accident, while the suspect was a young man of Albanian nationality. /Periscope/