Albanian cemetery in southern Serbia desecrated

Source: B92

BUJANOVAC -- Several tombstones were damaged last night at an Albanian cemetery in ethnically-mixed village of Oslare near the southern town of Bujanovac.

The Vranje Police Administration has confirmed that the incident took place.
“At the moment we only have a confirmation that several tombstones were desecrated in the village of Oslare. We will have more details later bearing in mind that investigative organs and police are in the field,” Vranje Police Administration Spokesman Dragan Stamenković told B92.

Local community representative Naser Bajrami told B92 that such incidents had not been recorded in the village or in Bujanovac because “a grave is sacred to Albanians and it is not to be touched it at any cost”.

“We are all shocked by the event in this multiethnic village. We strongly condemn the incident and request from the competent state organs to find the perpetrators and punish them,” Bajrami noted.

The village of Oslare is located about five kilometers southwest of Bujanovac.

According to the 2002 census, the village has 904 residents. 498 of them are ethnic Albanians and 400 are Serbs.