Non-governmental organization Praxis most severely condemns brutal acting of the representatives of the City Municipality Novi Beograd towards the Durmisi family in relation to yesterday’s attempt to knock down the house the family live in. By the order of the City Municipality Novi Beograd, auxiliary buildings in their courtyard were torn down and the electric supply cut off. Demolition of the house the family live in was postponed and, as of yesterday, this family lives in constant fear of completion of the demolition process.

On 28th January 2013, the Durmisi family received a notice on execution of forced decision on demolition of the object, as of 2008. The family have been living in this house since 1979 and their request for legalization of the house has been rejected. All their attempts to obtain information from the competent authorities of the City Municipality Novi Beograd and Belgrade City Administration about the reasons for demolition and alternatives that are being offered have fallen on deaf ears. When their house has been demolished, they will be left on the street, with no alternative accommodation.

The Durmisi family pay their electricity bill regularly and, during the demolition of auxiliary buildings they presented the bills to the representatives of the City Municipality Novi Beograd and Electric Power Distribution Belgrade and informed them that their two-year old child suffered from acute bronchitis and needed regular inhalation. Besides, a nine-month-old baby also lives in the house and the poor weather conditions and electricity power cut will endanger bare existence of the family members. Despite all this, representatives of the City Municipality Novi Beograd ordered the employees of the Electric Power Distribution Belgrade to cut off electric supply to the Durmisi family house.

We shall not state all the human rights standards that were violated by such acting of the City Municipality Novi Beograd and Electric Power Distribution Belgrade. We use this opportunity to raise a question as to whether any of the competent state bodies will take actions to burden somebody with responsibility for brutal and inhumane acting towards this Roma family and whether they will finally undertake measures to prevent such actions in the future.

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