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

Report 479

on the situation of the human rights and freedoms in Kosova from January 1 until January 9, 2000

Between January 1 and January 9, 2 Kosovars were killed (one Albanian and one Serb); the corpse of an Albanian, who was killed by the end of December 1999, was found; an Albanian was wounded and died due to the injuries suffered (according to eyewitnesses he was killed by another Albanian). 10 Albanians, who were killed by the Serbian forces in 1999, were identified. 7 Albanians were sentenced by the district court in Prokuple to a total of 26 years of imprisonment.

        Killings

        On December 30 - at about 11 p.m., unidentified persons wounded Zyber Haki Curri (48) from the village of Dremjak near Ferizaj. In a KFOR helicopter, he was taken towards the military hospital of the Bondsteel Camp in Sojeva. On his way to hospital Zyber succumbed to the injuries suffered.

         On January 3 – it was reported to the sub-council in Mitrovica that a group of Serb paramilitaries had kidnapped and executed an Albanian youngster. The incident occurred in the “Ibri” quarter on the northern part of the town, on December 31, 1999, at about 10 p.m. The corpse was thrown into the well of a burned house, in the vicinity of the “Roki” shoe shop.
        - UNMIK police identified the decapitated corpse, which was found at the cemetery of the “Arbana” quarter in Prizren. The killed is Luan Bytyēi (27) from Prizren. It is believed that he was killed a day after he went missing, on December 26, 1999.

        On January 4 – at about 9.30 a.m., Mėhill Binak Ukaj (1962) from the village of Zhub was killed in the vicinity of the “Zef Lush Marku” Primary School in the village of Brekoc near Gjakova.

        On January 7 - the corpse of an unidentified male was found in Prizren. After the investigation, it was confirmed that the killed was a Serb and that he had been shot on his head.

        Mass graves, exhumations-the identification of the killed and reburials

        On January 3 - Bekim Makiqi (25) was reburied in the village of Reznik near Vushtrria. He was killed on April 17, 1999 by Serb paramilitaries from the village of Prilluzha. His corpse was found at the cemetery of the village of Nedakoc.

        On January 6 - French soldiers found a number of corpses in the waters of the Ibri River, in the vicinity of the village of Serbovc. The corpse of Fahredin Ramė Sokoli (59) from the “7 Shtatori” quarter in Mitrovica was identified. The Serbian police and paramilitaries had arrested Fahredin and a group of 14 Albanians on June 8, 1999. Ever since, their whereabouts were unknown. It is believed that the victims were executed.

        SKĖNDERAJ: The following Albanians, who were executed in the village of Izbica on March 28, 1999, were identified (according to their personal belongings shown in the building of the municipal council in Skėnderaj): Florim Krasniqi (29), Halit Krasniqi (70), Fejzė Fejza (70) and Bajram Kelmendi (80) – from the village of Vojnika; Zenel Zeneli (72) – from Plluzhina and Isuf Shala (63) – from Buroja (Skėnderaj) as well as Ramė Syla (60) – from Shtupel and Halil Morina (56) – from Gllareva (Klina).

        Disappearances and kidnappings

        PRISHTINA: Since November 26, 1999, there are no information on the whereabouts of Raza Xhemajl Zeka (1937) from the village of Bėrvenik near Podujeva. She was last seen leaving her son’s house in Prishtina on her way to visit her daughter in Matiēan.

        Trials

        - On January 4, the following were sentenced by the District Court in Prokuple (Serbia): Hajredin and Ylber Zyberaj as well as Qazim Morina to 5 years of imprisonment; Sylė Morina, Reshit Morina and Xhemė Berisha to 3 years and Amrush Hoti to 2 years.

Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations

        PRISHTINA: On January 2, Serb paramilitaries in Graēanica attacked the  “Pėrparimi” bus from Kamenica. During the recent holidays, the “Alpescomerc” and “Kosovatransi” buses traveling between Gjilan and Prishtina were attacked as well. Considerable material damage was caused. “Kosovatransi” suffered losses estimated to DM 20.000.

        MITROVICA: On January 3, at about noon, a group of Serbs beat and physically ill-treated Ramiz Xheladin Hoti (39) and his sister Naxhije (41). The incident occurred in the vicinity of the place called Polet, in the “Ibri” quarter, in the northern part of the town. Ramiz suffered heavy injuries. During the evening hours, Serb snipers from the northern part of the town opened fire towards the southern part of Mitrovica.On January 4, at about 10.45 a.m., a group of 3 Serbs beat Ismail Nuhi Jashari (55), his wife Nadije Shyqeri Jashari (43) and their daughter Erinda (7), a pupil of the “Muharrem Bekteshi” Primary School. The incident occurred in the vicinity of the Ibri Bridge. Ismail’s family was threatened with liquidation if caught again in this part of the town. On January 5, Ismail and his daughter Erinda were once again attacked by a group of Serbs led by Dushan Shilikoviq. The incident occurred at about 11.30 a.m., in front of the “Dolce vita” café. While fighting with the assaulters, Ismail pulled out a small knife and tried to stab a Serb who was chasing him. French soldiers, who happened to be in the vicinity, hit Ismail on his head (with a rifle butt). Ismail fainted and was beat by the Serb assaulters in the presence of French soldiers. His daughter Erinda, who witnessed the event, was traumatized and is not attending school any longer due to security reasons.
        The very same day, at about 12.15 p.m., a group of Serbs from the village of Suhadoll blocked the road in the center of this village and stopped the UNHCR bus traveling between Vinarc i Epėrm and Mitrovica. The bus carries the inhabitants and the pupils from the villages of Vinarc i Poshtėm and Vinarc i Epėrm, Vidimriq, Gushavc and Suhadoll to Mitrovica and back. The Serb villagers of Suhadoll threatened to kill the Albanian passengers if they caught them again on this road. The road was blocked despite the presence of French soldiers who did nothing to protect the Albanian passengers.
        Unidentified persons damaged a power supply unit in Stantėrg.
        On January 6, between 6 p.m. and midnight, random shooting (guns, automatic guns and machine guns) was heard from the villages of Suhadoll, Zveēan i Vogėl and Frashėr. The very same happened in the “7 Shtatori”, “Kroi i Vitakut” and “Ibri” quarters (mainly inhabited by Serbs).
        On January 7, at about 3 p.m., a group of Serbs led by Milan Markoviq, severely ill-treated Halil Rizah Hakaj (54) and Nysret Cerani (23), from in the “Ibri” quarter. The two were threatened with liquidation if caught again in the northern part of the town.

FUSHĖ-KOSOVA: On January 5, unidentified persons threw an explosive device on the shop owned by Ramadan Asllani. The shop is in the vicinity of the Municipal Assembly in Fushė-Kosova. Half of the shop was burned.

        PODUJEVA: On January 7, in the evening hours, fire was opened from the territory of Serbia towards the Albanian houses in the territory of Kosova.

        Usurpations

        MITROVICA: Ekrem Vranica stated that two Serbs Cvijetko Udoviēiq, a correspondent of the “Voice of America” and Zoran Vllashkoviq, an associate of the “Deutsche Welle”, broke into his flat in the northern part of the town. According to Ekrem, Cvijetko is from Bosnia, whereas, the latter from Zubin Potok.

        The prisoners

        PRIZREN: On January 3, Nexhat Ibrahimi from Prizren, was released from the prison in Zajeēar (Serbia). Nexhat stated that he had shared his cell with brothers Valdet and Muhamet Leka.
        RAHOVEC: On January 4, Xhevdet Kastrati from the village of Malėsia e Vogėl and Mujė Jetullah Morina from Bratotin were released from the prison in Prokuple (Serbia).
        SUHAREKA: On January 6, Halil Kryeziu and Eshref Mazrreku from the village of Sopia; Hilmi Pėrteshi from Duhla and Ekrem Veselaj from Reēan were released from the prison in Vranje (Serbia).
        LIPJAN: On January 6, Rrahman Olluri from the village of Ruvc i Ri, who was arrested on May 8, was released from the prison in Nish (Serbia).

        PRISHTINA: Ali Makolli from Prishtina declared that the ICRC had informed him that his brother Fadil Jashar Makolli (1972), who was arrested in May 1999, was transferred from the prison in Mitrovica e Sremit (Vojvodina) to the prison in Nish (Serbia). The transfer took place in September. According to an Albanian prisoner, who was recently released from the prison in Nish, a week ago Fadil was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.

        Eastern Kosova (Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja)

        PRESHEVA: On January 4, at noon, the 8th session of the legal proceedings against Riza Halimi, the chairman of the municipal assembly in Presheva and of the Party for Democratic Action, continued in the Municipal Court in Presheva. He was accused of preventing police officials from doing their work during the peaceful protests against the massacres in Drenica, on March 5, 1999. The following witnesses were cross-examined: Behlul Nasufi, Naser Haziri, Dr. Eshref Aliu and Jetullah Kamberi. Igor Olujiq, a lawyer representing the Humanitarian Law Fund from Belgrade, attended the trial. The next session was scheduled for February 2.

        BUJANOC: On January 4, a group of Serb policemen and paramilitaries arrested Feriz Mehmeti (28) from the village of Osllar near Bujanoc. The incident occurred at the place called Kodra e Dudijes.On January 5, the 22nd session of the legal proceedings against Sevdail Hyseni continued in the Municipal Court in Bujanoc. He was accused of insulting “the Serbs and the other nations in Yugoslavia” in his poem “Me shajkaēė nė Evropė”. The trial was postponed on the suggestion of Igor Olujiq, the representative of the Humanitarian Law Fund from Belgrade, who requested that the troublesome poem be translated at the Department of Albanian Language and Literature of the Philosophical Faculty of the University in Belgrade. The next session was scheduled for January 18.

        Serb policemen stationed at the checkpoints on the border with Kosova are looting truck drivers, bus drivers as well as other passers by. They are forced to give money, gasoline or food to the policemen. Otherwise, they are insulted on national and family bases or are physically ill-treated.

        KFOR interventions

        MALISHEVA: On January 1, Russian soldiers stationed in the vicinity of the Llozica Bridge, burned the cattle fodder and the firewood belonging to Tahir Javori from Llozica. Tahir stated that the Russian soldiers harass him frequently.
        On January 7, German and Russian soldiers searched the offices of the TMK, of the public order police in Malisheva as well as those of the “Malisheva” Agricultural Combine (which are located in the same building). A small amount of weapons and of ammunition was found and seized. Besim Kilaj, a member of the TMK, was arrested. Besim had deactivated a mine (laid by the Serbs) but did not hand it to KFOR troops. Hundreds of citizens (mainly youngsters and pupils) gathered in the vicinity of the premises that were being searched. Tensions increased when a Russian soldier hit an Albanian pupil of the “Abdyl Frashėri” Gymnasium (with the rifle butt). Later on, the very same happened to another citizen.

        GJAKOVA: On January 2, KFOR soldiers and Italian policemen raided the offices of the Information Center in Gjakova. All the documents and materials on the activities of war criminals, those who have committed criminal acts as well as those who have violated the public law and order were seized.

        MITROVICA: On January 6, at about 2 p.m., a group of 20 French soldiers searched the warehouses of the “Mother Theresa” Humanitarian & Charitable Association in the village of Suhadoll. The soldiers also searched the house of Fehmi Rexhep Alushi, who was killed by Serb paramilitaries in 1999. According to a French officer, the pretext for this raid was that a child had thrown stones towards a French truck in which several Serbs were traveling. According to an eyewitness, the soldiers behaved arrogantly and demolished furniture in the searched premises.

        PRISHTINA: On January 6, a large presence of KFOR soldiers could be noticed in the vicinity of the offices of the Provisional Government of Kosova. A KFOR patrol entered the building and headed towards the Prime minister’s office. Vlora Ēitaku, Thaēi’s secretary, warned the soldiers about their behaviour. A few moments later, the patrol left the building.

SKĖNDERAJ: On January 9, French soldiers in cooperation with the UNMIK police searched the premises of the “Hamzė Jashari” Ammunition Factory in Skėnderaj. They demolished furniture and searched several houses in the Jasharaj quarter in the village of Prekaz i Poshtėm. The pretext is unknown. No weapons were found during the search.

The international administrator in Skėnderaj and KFOR insist that the distribution and the installation of the weekend cottages for the homeless in the municipality of Skėnderaj should be done by Russian soldiers. The Albanian population opposes such a thing due to the participation of the Russian mercenaries in the massacres against the Albanians. TMK provided 3 trucks for the transport of the cottages. A compromise was reached a few days later. It was decided that the weekend cottages be distributed and installed by Scottish soldiers.

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
 

        Prishtina, January 9, 2000                             Information Service