COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF  HUMAN  RIGHTS AND  FREEDOMS
KĖSHILLI PĖR MBROJTJEN E TĖ DREJTAVE E TĖ LIRIVE TĖ NJERIUT

Report 478

on the situation of the human rights and freedoms in Kosova from December 26 until December 31, 1999

        Between December 26 and December 31, 3 citizens were killed (2 Roma and one person whose identity could not be confirmed); one Albanian died in the prison of Prokupla (Serbia). 10 Serbs were wounded (2 heavily) as well as 2 Russian soldiers (in a mine incident). One Albanian woman was reported missing.

        Killings

        On December 28  – Muhamet Basha (66) from the village of Vraniq near Suhareka died in the prison of Prokupla.
        -at about 10 a.m., the corpse of an unidentified person aged about 40 was found at the place called Vojtesh on the road between Mitrovica and Skėnderaj.
        On December 30 - the corpses of Vehet Demiri (22) from Shtimje and Shabi Guliqi (27) from the village of Dubrava near Ferizaj, Roma, were found at the place called Mali i Bylykbashėve in the village of Tėrstenik near Gllogoc.

        Mine incidents

        KAMENICA: On December 29, 2 Russian soldiers were wounded in a mine accident in the vicinity of Kamenica. Their vehicle hit a land mine.

        Woundings:

        VITI: On December 27, at about 4 p.m., 10 Serbs were wounded in a bomb blast in Vitia. The wounded (2 with heavy injuries) were taken to the American Camp Bondsteel in Sojeva near Ferizaj. Dobrivoje Kojiq, Slobodan Deniq, Sreqko Piriq, Trajan Baloēeviq and Predrag Miliēeviq were among the wounded.

        Kidnappings and disappearances

        MALISHEVA: On December 31, Zymrie Xhafer Samadraxha (39) from the village of Banja near Malisheva, mentally ill, went missing.

        Ill-treatments, attacks and provocations

        KLINA: On December 31, at about 11 p.m., unidentified persons opened automatic fire on the shop owned by Shefqet Gashi in the village of Sverka. The shop was damaged.

Looting

        MITROVICA: On December 28, unidentified persons looted equipment from the Stantėrg mine (Tuneli i Parė).

The prisoners

        KAĒANIK: On December 27, Ismajl Isa from Hani i Elezit was released from the prison in Nish (Serbia). Ismajl stated that the following Albanians from Kaēanik are still being kept under arrest in this prison: Valon Berisha, Sherif Berisha, Shefket Topojani and Shaban Ēupi.
        SUHAREKA: On December 28, the following Albanians from the municipality of Suhareka were released from the prison in Nish: Mexhid Zenelaj, Nazim Zenelaj, Fatmir Kokollari and Rexhep Aliaj – from Savrova; Azem Ndrecaj and Ukė Ndrecaj from Maēiteva; Sherif Hamzaj from Mushtisht, Zaim Ēatani from Duhla and Lulzim Sylaj from Sllapuzhan.
        PRISHTINA: On December 29, the following were released from different prisons in Serbia: Igballe Xhafaj (1979) from the village of Mirash near Ferizaj, who was arrested on January and who gave birth to her son Altin in September (in a Belgrade hospital); Sylejman Ajeti from Prishtina (released from the prison in Nish); Skender Mehmeti from Gjakova and Mujė Morina from Prizren (released from the prison in Leskovc); Ahmet Kastrati from Prizren (released from the prison in Prokupla) and Bedri Zekaj from Mitrovica (released from the prison in Mitrovica e Sremit).
        Muhamet Desku, who was recently released from the prison of “Zabela” in Pozharevac brought a list with the names of the following 80 Albanians who are being kept under arrest in this prison: Rrahman Elshani, Shaban Elshani, Muharrem Elshani, Ejup Elshani, Rrahim Elshani, Gėzim Isufi, Gazmend Isufi, Jeton Isufi, Skėnder Isufi, Ismet Isufi, Avdi Gashi, Adem Gashi, Mentor Berisha, Valon Berisha, Kadri Zuberi, Fadil Zuberi, Nexhdet Zuberi, Isė Hasi, Raif Hasi, Ismail Hasi, Fekė Asllani, Pėrparim Asllani and his brother, Muhamet Limani, Jakup Limani, Shefqet Mulliqi, Istref Mulliqi, Bekim Topalli, Ismet Topalli, Imer Haziri, Bashkim Haziri, Enver Baleci, Agim Baleci, Mahmut Qorri, Feriz Qorri, Halil Matoshi, Mevlud Korēa, Mustafė Rrahmani, Shukri Ēitaku, Faruk Murati, Ramadan Sopjani, Murat Dili, Naman Sulejmani, Ultrim Imeri, Muhamet Jetullahu, Shaip Rexhepi, Mursel Hajdari, Qamil Kastrati, Hajrullah Peci, Sokol Demaku, Selim Veliu, Burim Musliu, Agim Bajraktari, Bashkim Kabashi, Haki Ademi, Ejup Sejdiu, Behxhet Zeneli, Isuf Zariqi, Jashar Kukiqi, Elmi Hoti, Florim Leku, Bajram Rukolli, Naser Murtezi, Nexhat Ibrahimi, Sinan Tafili, Martin Zefi, Halil Seferi, Fehmi Beēuku, Sali Patligjani, Jakup Tahiraj, Bashkim Bujupi, Naim Istogu, Tal Rafuna, Zahir Shkodra, Sami Vitia, Ismet Lladrovci, Besnik Heta, Shefqet Mala, Ēaush Selca, Shaban Sopi and Ramadan Deliu. In the meantime, Nexhdet Zuberi, Sinan Tafili and Martin Zefi were transferred to the prison of Mitrovica e Sremit, whereas, Zahir Shkodra and Sami Vitia to the prison in Nish.

        MALISHEVA: On December 27, Istref Asllan Mazrreku (20) from Malisheva, was arrested by the Serbian police in Presheva. Istref and 2 friends of his were returning from Sllovenia.
        PRISHTINA: On December 27, UNMIK released the information that of December 22, a person aged 27 was arrested in connection to the killing of Dragosllav Bashiq on November 28 in Prishtina.
        RAHOVEC: On December 28, a Serb indicted for war crimes was arrested in Rahovec. KFOR and UNMIK sources did not communicate the name of the accused. Yet, Vidosava Matiq stated that the accused is her husband Sava Matiq (41), a teacher. He was taken to the prison in Prizren.

         Eastern Kosova (Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja)

        BUJANOC:  A police checkpoint was set up in the building of the “Svetlost” shop in the vicinity of the village of Tėrnoc. Thus, the roads leading to Malėsia were blocked. Due to this, the pupils from the village of Maltėrnoc did not attend school for the last 2 days.

        KFOR interventions

        KLINA: On December 29, under the pretext of searching for weapons, Portuguese soldiers and the UNMIK police intervened in the premises of the public order police and a number of private houses in Klina. Large military forces surrounded the houses that were being searched. During the search in the premises of the public order police, KFOR soldiers demolished the building. Those present were asked, “whether they were members of the PPDK and told to step aside ”.
        SKĖNDERAJ: On December 31, Russian soldiers in the village of Marina stopped Gani Koci, a member of the sub-CDHRF in Skėnderaj, dealing with the issue of missing persons as well as those in the prisons of Serbia. Gani and his co-passenger were stopped for more than 2 hours and told to hand in certain items with the UCK sign, what they refused to do. The assistant of the municipal administrator in Skėnderaj (Mr.Xhasper), the UNMIK police and the TMK helped in calming the situation.

        Evidence on war criminals

        VITI: A list was found with the names of the following Serbs, employees of the Forest Economy in Vitia, involved in the activities of the police, military and paramilitary forces: Dragan Markoviq, Novica Markoviq, Nenad Kovaēeviq, Dragan Joviq, Branislav Simiq, Nebojsha Stoliq, Marko Radenoviq and Zhivojin Mitroviq.
        PRISHTINA: A notebook was found with the names of the following paramilitaries in the house of the Berisha brothers in the village of Drenoc: Sasha Trajkoviq – commander, Obrad Milaniq, Dejan Zhiviq, Nikolla Stoliq, Jovica Mihajloviq, Boris Ahmetoviq, Dalibor Angjelkoviq, Milosh Adamoviq and Ivan Stankoviq. Apart from the commander, who is from the municipality of Lipjan and used to work in the Prishtina Hospital, there are no information on the other paramilitaries.
        10 Albanian families living in the “Ulpiana” quarter in Prishtina (D-2/, hyrja IV A) gave a joint statement claiming that their neighbour, Momēillo Momo Miliēeviq (1968), from the village of Banja near Kurshumlia (Serbia), a worker with the “Beopetrol” Gas Station in Prishtina, had put pressure on them to leave their homes during the campaign for the expulsion of the Albanians. According to many eyewitnesses, the above mentioned in co-operation with: Radenka Beba Buha, Lilana Iniq and Lubinka Baniēeviq (together with her sister-in-law Zorica Baniēeviq) have demolished and looted the flats of their Albanian neighbours. Most of the looted goods were taken to Serbia.

        Delayed information:

        DRAGASH: On December 24, at about 9 p.m., unidentified persons broke into the warehouse of the “Handikos” Association in Dragash and looted a considerable amount of humanitarian aid.
        PEJA:  The night between December 24-25, Bajram Jonuz Kastrati (19) from the village of Arbana (Dushanova) near Prizren, was caught by the public order police in Peja, while trying to steal a “Golf 2” car. Bajram confessed of having a number of associates. Later on, he was handed to the UNMIK police.

        Prishtina, December 31, 1999                       Information Service

Rr. Zdrini, 38000 Prishtinė-Kosovė; tel. 381 (0) 549006  fax: 381 (0) 38 549007
E-mail:kmdlnj@albanian.com      cdhrf@albanian.com     http://www.albanian.com/kmdlnj