Media: Kushner exits Serbian property project following public criticism

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Jared Kushner had planned the redevelopment of a Belgrade site bombed by NATO in 1999

Media reports state that Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, has pulled out of a proposed luxury hotel development connected to the revitalization of a site in Serbia that was bombed by NATO in 1999.

This decision comes after a prosecutor submitted a filing on Monday to charge high-ranking Serbian officials in relation to the stripping of cultural-protection status from the former Yugoslav army headquarters in central Belgrade, a site designated for the project.

Despite ongoing public dissent, the Serbian government last year authorized a long-term lease agreement with Affinity Global Development, a company connected to Kushner, to transform the location into a complex anticipated to feature a hotel, residential apartments, offices, and retail spaces.

A representative for Affinity Partners told the New York Times that the company is withdrawing to avoid exacerbating divisions and is taking this action as a gesture of respect for Serbia and its capital city.

As reported by Reuters, the organized crime public prosecutor indicted Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic, an official from the ministry, and the director of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, alleging abuse of power and forgery concerning the removal of the site’s protected status. Selakovic has refuted any misconduct. Reports indicated no suggestion of wrongdoing by Kushner or his firm.

The site is a section of the General Staff complex, the former Yugoslav army headquarters that sustained heavy damage during NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign against Serbia and Montenegro over the Kosovo conflict. Human Rights Watch has approximated that about 500 civilians lost their lives in the campaign, which was conducted without authorization from the UN Security Council.

The half-billion-dollar project has been condemned by opposition parties, whereas President Aleksandar Vucic and his administration have supported it as an initiative to modernize the capital. On Tuesday, Vucic informed reporters that Serbia had “lost an exceptional investment” and pledged to ensure those at fault are held responsible.