CULTURAL HERITAGE IN PRIZREN CONTINUES TO FACE MANY CHALLENGES
![CULTURAL HERITAGE IN PRIZREN CONTINUES TO FACE MANY CHALLENGES](https://res.cloudinary.com/ecmandryshe/image/upload/v1645878709/images/26_02_2022_1876779_26_02_2022_15525231_1_mdejrh.jpg)
Cultural heritage assets in Prizren during 2021 have also faced risks of various natures, in terms of their preservation, protection and promotion.
According to the data received by the Regional Center of Cultural Heritage in Prizren, in the period January-December 2021 in Prizren, 7 cases of damage to cultural heritage buildings, and 11 cases of unauthorized works or the exceeding for the conditions of consent were recorded.
Meanwhile the Inspectorate of Cultural Heritage in MKRS has announced that within 2021, in 5 cases it has issued decisions to stop these works. In this period of time, ITK has filed 5 criminal reports and misdemeanors.
The Council for Cultural Heritage of the Historical Center of Prizren has announced that within the year 5 subjects were not examined at all and that 9 subjects were returned for completion.
The Directorate of Inspectorates in the Municipality of Prizren has announced that during 2021 it has identified violations in 10 objects in cultural heritage areas in Prizren, in which case it has imposed 12 mandatory fines and issued 10 decisions to stop works.
The regional police of Prizren has emphasized that 3 cases related to the cultural and religious heritage objects have been initiated.
The Basic Prosecutor's Office in Prizren has asserted that during 2021, regarding the damage to the cultural heritage in Prizren, it received 2 criminal reports against 2 suspected people. This Prosecutor from the Directorate of Inspectorates of the Municipality of Prizren has received a criminal complaint against a person, against whom an indictment has been filed, due to the well-founded suspicion that he committed the criminal offense "Damage, destruction and unauthorized extraction of monuments or protected objects outside the Republic of Kosovo". While the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has received a criminal complaint against a legal entity, which was rejected by the Prosecutor's Office.
Meanwhile, the Basic Court in Prizren has announced that for the criminal offenses from Article 354 for the period January - September 2021, 2 cases have been recorded, where in 1 case this court has issued a judgment with a punitive order, respectively a fine, while the other case ended with judicial notice.
EC restates that the preservation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage requires dedication and work from cross-sectoral actors and that the relevant institutions must exercise all their responsibilities, in order to increase the efficiency related to the preservation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage assets .