05.09.2019.
Hunger Strike Will not Contribute to Resolution of Housing Issue of the Persons who Are Staying in the “Bristol”
It is incomprehensible that certain irresponsible politicians state that they are concerned for the health of the persons who have remained in former hotel “Bristol”, concurrently encouraging them to remain there and persist in requesting permanent housing bypassing laws and procedures which have been clearly explained to them by the Ministry of Defence. Acting in such a manner, they give false hope to the persons in the “Bristol” that they can illegally obtain permanent housing - reads a written statement of the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces Major Milan Gujanica.
Relating to the announced hunger strike of the persons who have remained in the “Bristol”, the Ministry of Defence has established an on-duty medical team which visits the persons in questions several times a day and provides medical assistance if it is needed. During the day, the team has already conducted a medical examination of the persons, and apart from regular visits, it is ready to administer emergency medical care.
We call upon the persons who have remained in the “Bristol” to immediately move into the flats which they have already seen in the A block or to military hotels “Zvezdara” and “Galeb” in Belgrade, which the Ministry of Defence offers to them in accordance with their entitlement - Major Gujanica points out noting that the hunger strike will not change the position of the Ministry of Defence that the persons in the “Bristol” can resolve their housing issue exclusively within the framework of the law and established procedure, acknowledging a unified ranking list of 18,000 individuals from the Ministry of Defence interested in obtaining flats.
The statement of the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence also reads that providing the persons who have remained in the “Bristol” with permanent flats would entitle the other persons interested in obtaining flats to sue the Ministry of Defence and win the case. Because of similar violations of law back in 2008, the Ministry of Defence paid six billion dinars in last two years for adjudicated compensations in lawsuits for discrimination of reservists. That is why such violations of law will not happen again in this and any other case.
