The mayor of Preševo municipality, Shqiprim Arifi, has declared that the vote in favor of Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe by the Parliamentary Assembly has exacerbated Serbia’s approach to the Albanians of the Valley.
Arifi, who was punished by the authorities there for placing the flag on November 28, says that every time Kosovo has scored a success in its international journey, the Albanians of the Valley have been the first victims.
“I don’t believe it was a coincidence. It’s all planned. This decision is just one of those that have come in recent years. Serbia systematically continues to punish us for placing the flag. But in the case of this decision that came into my hand today, it is a decision that cannot be explained any other way than with the ferocity that they have shown in the last few days, knowing that Kosovo is succeeding in its international journey. Every time Kosovo has had an international success, the Albanians of the Valley have been the first victims”, he said.
He went on to say that Serbia’s 30-year-old mentality has not changed and that Albanians are still facing it there.
“Three days ago, the Serbian president, Vučić, who will arrest all those who violate the Constitution of Serbia, and normally the first to fall on the radar of this racist mentality are the Albanians of the Preševo Valley. It didn’t go very far and the decision came that I was convicted by the Court for placing the flag on our national holiday of November 28. We are continuously working with a Serbia that has no intention of changing this mentality that it has had for 30 years. This is Serbia, which we constantly face,” he added.
