A court in Belgrade has ruled in favor of Serbian minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin, who openly used a pejorative term “Shiptari” towards Albanians.
The news was confirmed by Albanian MP in Serbia’s Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, saying that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Vulin who continuously uses the pejorative for Albanians.
“The court has already given judicial force to the institutionalization of hate speech, intolerance and xenophobia against Albanians in general, and those in Serbia in particular,” Kamberi wrote on Facebook.
He called on the European Union, United States of America and regional countries to react against Belgrade and stop “the institutionalization of the hate speech towards minorities in Serbia”.
“Today’ decision of the Supreme Court in Belgrade is a very dangerous precedent for minorities in Serbia, but also in the whole Western Balkans,” Kamberi said.
While in the office of Minister of Defense, issued an official statement on October, 2020 in which he refers to Kosovo Albanians as “Shiptari” which is used as an insult by Serbians against Albanians. The correct Serbian term for Albanians is “Albanac”.
Amid many reactions, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama called on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to condemn Vulin’s statement.
Albanians call their selves Shqiptar, which basically means Albanian. But Serbs use the slightly tweaked “Shiptar” in a derogatory way when talking about Albanians.
The president of the National Council of Albanians in Serbia filed a lawsuit against Vulin.
