The University of Prishtina filed a new lawsuit on Wednesday against the Sveti Spas (Christ the Saviour) Church.

Last month, the Appeals Court upheld the Serbian Orthodox Church’s land ownership rights to the controversial church, which was once part of the University of Prishtina campus. The university pledged to file a new complaint from the beginning.

Esat Kelmendi, the university’s secretary, told Prishtina Insight that this time around, the university also filed a lawsuit against the Municipality of Prishtina, claiming that it should have nullified “discriminatory” legislation in favor of the church from the 1990s.

The University of Prishtina disputes the Orthodox Church’s ownership of approximately four hectares of land and the legal basis for the building due to its ties to the Milosevic regime.

According to the plaintiff, the land was part of the university campus according to the Detailed Urbanism Plan of Prishtina University Center, Gz-KSAK nr.54/75.

The lawsuit claims that the primary defendant, the Municipality of Prishtina, illegally and without any legal basis, on September, 26, 1990, gave part of the university complex for use to the second defendant, the Serbian Orthodox Church. According to the lawsuit, the Church in turn illegally accepted the land and built the Sveti Spas (Christ the Saviour) Church and its yard.

The University of Prishtina claims it has legal right to use the land and requested that it be returned to the university.