Judgment of the Supreme Court in the Case of Hydropower Plants in Deçan

Dear citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and media representatives,

We are pleased to announce that the Supreme Court of Kosovo has reinstated the suspension measure on the operation of Hydropower Plants in Deçan.

The Supreme Court overturned the Decision of the Court of Appeals which stated without any basis, among other things, that the suspension of the operation of hydropower plants was against the public interest! The Supreme Court found that the plaintiffs, Mr. Selmanaj and other residents of Deçan have presented convincing evidence that they would be harmed, that postponing the execution of permits for hydropower plants in Deçan was not against the public interest, and that the construction company would not suffer any major losses.  The Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) and “Pishtarët” are interested parties in the process, and have also filed lawsuits through the Center for Strategic Litigation.

This Judgment of the Supreme Court is a great victory for the citizens of Deçan! Because it means that the hydropower plants in Deçan will no longer be able to operate legally until the court issues a final decision on the legality of the permits.

The legal violations in this case have been huge and numerous! Which in August this year were confirmed by the publication of the Report of the Working Group for Hydropower – composed mainly of officials of the Ministry – which has proven that all permits issued for hydropower plants in Kosovo in the last decade are illegal!