Coalition Against Discrimination and its partner organizations condemn, in the strongest terms, today’s demolition of the remaining four barracks located on the corner of Milutina Milankovića and Omladinskih brigada streets, Novi Beograd, which left four families without a roof over their heads at temperatures below zero.

The demolition today represents a continuation of the removal of barracks housing families of the present and former employees of the company Ratko Mitrović  who were allocated these barracks by way of temporary accommodation. A large number of MOI employees and Fire Brigade were present during the demolition ensuring unimpeded eviction in view of the announced resistance to the illegal demolition.  

The Construction Inspectorate of the Novi Beograd municipality had earlier - on 26 November 2010 - pulled down one barrack housing three Roma families also without prior notice of eviction. Having spent the first night out in the open, they were provided alternative accommodation in container settlements in Makiš and Rakovica. The inhabitants of the barracks on this location were last served with notices on eviction in April and June this year, whereafter the evictions were postponed for an indefinite period of time. In the meantime, no one spoke to them nor were they informed if and when they would be evicted. Most of their property was destroyed during the demolition that took place today, leaving them without alternative accommodation and out in the street.

Despite the repeated requests of non-governmental organizations to put a stop to forcible evictions, particularly so during winter and in bad weather conditions and repeated reminding of the City and the Government of Serbia that they should fully observe the provisions of the International Pact on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights and other relevant documents, the representatives of the municipal authorities continue with illegal evictions. Demolition of the last remaining barrack was announced for Friday, 17 December 2010.

We request urgent suspension of all forcible evictions until spring and provision of adequate alternative accommodation to every person that was forcibly evicted today. We emphasize that the accommodation provided to families evicted from the same location three  weeks ago and accommodated in Makiš and Rakovica is not adequate for they have not been provided with heaters and beds and so we request these be given to them without further delay.

Members of Coalition Against Discrimination: Center for Advancend Legal Studies, Civil Rights Defenders, Labris, Anti-Trafficking Center, CHRIS network, Association of Students with Disabilities, Gayten LGBT, PRAXIS and Regional Center for Minorities.

Press release supported by:

Belgrade Center for Human Rights

YUCOM

Humanitarian Law Center

Women in Black

Center for Cultural Decontamination

Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia

Youth Initiative for Human Rights