The European Commission is aware of the reports of passivation of ethnic Albanians in the Presevo Valley in Serbia and is monitoring the situation in light of Belgrade’s commitments to the EU accession process.
Researcher and academic Flora Ferati-Sachsenmaier first sounded the alarm on the “administrative ethnic cleansing” of Albanians in the region through an op-ed published on Exit.al. The revelation was the result of almost a decade of work into the issue.
She found that Serbian authorities were removing ethnic Albanians from the civil registry to the tune of almost 4000, stripping them of their right to vote, send thier children to school, access healthcare, essentially rendering them stateless. In light of the upcoming presidential, parliamentary, and local elections scheduled for 4 April, this raises concerns about the rights for ethnic minorities to participate in democratic processes.
Exit asked the commission if they were aware of the situation and what action could be taken. While they did not address the issue of citizens being prevented from voting in the triple elections, they will consider it as a part of the accession process.
“We are monitoring the situation in light of the commitments taken in the framework of the accession negotiations, particularly those related to the rights of persons belonging to national minorities,” a commission spokesperson said.
They added that “Serbia is required, within chapter 23 ‘Judiciary and Fundamental Rights’, to implement its legal framework and dedicated action plan on minorities.”
While this is welcome, it will do little to help 4000 citizens who have been illegally deprived of their right to vote in the elections which are less than one month away.
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