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

Report 480

on the situation of the human rights and freedoms in Kosova from January 9 until January 16, 2000

        Between January 9-16, 7 persons were killed (4 Bosniacs, an Albanian girl and two unidentified persons); the corpse of an unidentified Albanian was found (the latter was kidnapped on January 1); the corpses of 5 Albanians, who were killed by the Serbian forces, were identified and reburied; the identity of two women could not be confirmed; A KLA soldier was reburied as well. One Albanian was wounded.
A number of Albanian prisoners were released from the Serb prisons. The District Court in Leskovc initiated the legal proceedings against 144 Albanians from Gjakova. Several incidents were reported in different parts of Kosova, especially in the northern part of Mitrovica. Attacks and provocations by groups of Serbs have become a widespread phenomenon. Several KFOR interventions were reported especially in the Anamorava region.

        Killings

        On January 1 – at about 7 p.m., unidentified persons kidnapped Salih Hysen Emini (52) from the village of Reēak near Shtime (while returning from work). His corpse was found in the village of Petrova, on January 3.

        On January 10 – the following members of a Bosniac family were killed in the “Tusus” quarter in Prizren: Sezair Skėnderi (52) and his wife Anife (50), their daughter Ardiana (21) and Sezair’s mother Gjyla (78).

        On January 13 – the corpse of Merita Hamdi Shabiu (12) from the village of Debėlldeja, living in Vitia, was found in the outskirts of Vitia. Merita went missing on January 12. The victim was raped. An American soldier Frank J. Ronghi (36) was accused of the crime. The officer is being kept in detention in the prison of the Bondsteel Camp in Sojeva near Ferizaj. Soon, he is to be transferred to the prison in the American military base in Majnhajm in Germany. There, military prosecutors will investigate him.

        On January 14 - at about midnight, two unidentified corpses (shot with fire arms) were found by a KFOR patrol to the North of Gjakova.

        Mass graves – reburials and the identification of the killed

        On January 12 - Kadri Salih Qerimi, a KLA soldier, who was killed by the Serbian forces on April 1999, was reburied in the village of Katunishta near Podujeva.

        FUSHĖ-KOSOVA: 6 corpses were exhumed from the cemetery in the village of Bresje, on December 6, 1999. The corpses of the following were identified: Zymrie Osmani (55) from Fushė Kosova and her two sons Lulzim (1971) and Luan (1975) as well as her daughter-in-law (1973). Two female corpses were not identified.
        MITROVICA: The corpse of Nazmi Smajl Maziqi was found in the cemetery in the village of Suhodoll and reburied.

        Woundings

        PODUJEVA: On January 13, late at night, Hasan Visoka, the vice president of the local branch of the “Mother Theresa” Humanitarian & Charitable Association in Podujeva, was heavily wounded with firearms. Hasan was wounded in Prishtina while entering the house in which he is temporarily living.

        Disappearances and kidnappings

        GLLOGOC: There are no information on the whereabouts of Pėrparim Vesel Hajdinaj (1984) from the village of Tėrdec. Pėrparim is mentally ill.

        Mine fields

        SUHAREKA: A minefield was found in the “Suka” quarter in the vicinity of the village of Bllaca.

Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations

MITROVICA: On January 11, the activists of the sub-CDHRF in Mitrovica, found different items (rope, women’s underwear, dresses, etc.) in the premises of the Stantėrgu mines. It is believed that the Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces used these objects as raping centers. Bloodstains can be seen on the walls of the building.
        During the evening hours, a group of Serbs in the northern part of Mitrovica (carrying Motorola’s), physically ill-treated Mustafė Radoniqi, a lawyer with the Humanitarian Law Fund. His car was stolen.
On January 12, at about 8.20 a.m., 4 Serbs physically ill-treated Bajram Sherif Beci (52), a professor, living in the ‘Tavnik” quarter. The incident occurred in the vicinity of the court building in the presence of the UNMIK police. Bajram works as an interpreter for UNMIK.
At 10.30 p.m., 4 Serbs burned the house of Shemsije Osman Osmani (42) in the “Tavnik” quarter in the northern part of Mitrovica. Sefė Sadri Sefa (44) and Ahmet Shahini (53), a Bosniac, were physically ill treated while trying to extinguish the fire. After midnight, the same group of Serbs came to loot and burn the other Albanian houses. An Albanian citizen informed the UNMIK police, who did not respond to the call.
        On January 13, at about 3 p.m., some 30 Serbs physically ill-treated the following UNMIK workers: Behije Hagjaj (24), Abedin Miftari (34) and two Albanians named Nazmi  and Sylejman. The incident occurred in the vicinity of the Technical Secondary School in the “Ibri” quarter.
At about midnight, Serbs opened random fire from automatic weapons in the village of Suhadoll and in the “7 Shtatori”, “Kroi i Vitakut” and “Ibri” quarters in Mitrovica.
        At about midnight, some 300 Serbs tried to stop a car heading towards the southern part of Mitrovica. According to the UNMIK police the Albanians inside the car managed to cross the bridge.
        At 1 a.m., a group of Serbs physically ill-treated Qazim Misin Hyseni (1935), his wife Afije Zymer Hyseni (1936) and their children Sami (30) and Shqipe (22). The above mentioned live in the “Kodra e Minatorėve” quarter in the northern part of the town. Qazim was taking his wife, who suffers from a heart disease, to the Health Care Center. When they arrived at the Ibri Bridge French soldiers stopped them. Once they opened the door, they were attacked by a Serb mob. Sami managed to return to the car, but was stopped by other soldiers, who took him out of the car, tied his hands, beat him and handed him to the UNMIK police. He was kept in detention until 8 a.m., the next day, under the pretext that he had crossed the bridge without permit.
        On January 14, at about 2 p.m., a large group of Serbs attacked the family of Bahrije Shaqir Sylejmani (45) in their flat in the “Ibri” quarter. Doors and windows were broken. UNMIK police reacted in due time and saved the family from further problems.
At about 4 p.m., a group of Serbs led by Dushko Shilikoviq and his son Dragan, attacked a group of Albanians, who were coming out of the UNHCR bus. The incident occurred in the “7 Shtatori” quarter. As the Serbs beat several men and women, an Albanian opened fire and wounded two of the assaulters.
        A group of Serbs went to the flat of Ismet Emra and beat him until he fainted. French soldiers took him to their field hospital and gave him the first aid. In the meantime, the assaulters locked Ismet’s wife inside the flat. French soldiers escorted Ismet back to his flat. The next day, he was once again provoked and threatened to leave his flat within 15 days.
        On January 15, at about 3.45 p.m., a group of Serbs, led by Ivan Slavko Mandiq from the “Ibri” quarter, went to the flat of Sherine Ejup Kralani (63) and severely ill-treated her and her daughter Myrvete Ahmet Hoxha (43).
Sherine had both her hands broken. Later on, the assaulters went to the flat of Jashar Emin Jashari (54) and beat him until he fainted. The incidents occurred in the “7 Shtatori” quarter. The above mentioned were evicted from their flats. Serb and Roma families occupied them.
        A group of Serbs blocked several buildings on the road to Suhadoll. The Serbs tried to evict the Albanian families living in them but were prevented by French soldiers and the UNMIK police.
        PRISHTINA: On January 11, at about 10 p.m., there were several blasts in the  “Dardania” quarter in Prishtina. A KFOR officer confirmed that an explosive device had been placed in a garbage container. Part of it did not explode and was later on activated by KFOR soldiers and the UNMIK police.
        On January 12, at about 10.35 p.m., a civilian attacked an UNMIK police officer who was regulating the traffic in the “Dardania” quarter in Prishtina.  The policeman suffered injuries on his eye and hand. During the arrest the assaulter was lightly injured on his nose, taken to the hospital and then to jail.
        The very same day, a citizen of Macedonia attacked a member of the UNMIK border police at the border cross in Bllace. The assaulter was arrested and taken to the prison of the American military camp Bondsteel in Sojeva near Ferizaj.

KAMENICA: On January 12, at about 12.40 p.m., a group of Serbs from Graēanica threw stones at the “Pėrparimi” bus from Topanica traveling between Kamenica and Prishtina. The bus, owned by Ramadan Morina, was considerably damaged.

        PODUJEVA: On January 13, at about 2 a.m., a powerful blast was heard from the “Pėrparimi” Agricultural Combine in Podujeva. Fire spread on the first floor of the building causing high material losses. The offices of the “Mother Theresa” branch in Podujeva were located in this building.

        FUSHĖ-KOSOVA: On January 13, between 8-9 p.m., unidentified persons looted the house of Milivoje Dushan Dediq (1951) in Fushė-Kosova.

        GJILAN: On January 15, at about 3 a.m., the Orthodox Church in the outskirts of the village of Cėrnica was badly damaged in a powerful blast.

        LIPJAN: On January 15, at about 11 a.m., a powerful blast was heard in the vicinity of the gas station in the outskirts of Lipjan.

        PEJA: A group of Serbs from the village of Gorazhdec stopped Sali Ramė Rama from Zahaq while on his way to Poēesta. As they did not manage to take him out of the car, they attacked him with stones.

        VITI: A few days ago, two vacant houses were destroyed in Vitia as a result of two powerful blasts. The houses were owned by an Albanian who had previously bought them from a Serb. Fire was set to two shops full of goods. The shops were owned by Albanians who had previously bought them from Serbs.

        The prisoners

        PEJA: Agron Kollēaku from Peja, who was arrested by the Serbian police on December 1998, was released from the prison in Zajeēar (Serbia).
        PRISHTINA: The ICRC reported that with its mediation 15 Albanians were released from the prisons in Serbia (13 are from Prizren, one from Prishtina and one from Deēan). 13 were released from the prison in Pozharevc one from Leskovc and one from Nish.

        PRISHTINA: On January 14, Teki Bokshi, a lawyer of the Humanitarian Law Fund, confirmed that the District Court in Leskovc (Serbia) had initiated legal proceedings against 144 Albanians from Gjakova.
        KLINA: The ICRC reported that Ramė Sefer Gashi from the village of Pėrēeva is in the prison in Pozharevc (Serbia). 6 months ago, he was arrested by the Serbian forces in Prishtina.

        KFOR interventions

        VITI: During the intervention of the American soldiers in the “Drenica” café in Vitia Xhavit Hasani, the owner of the café, Skėnderbe Hebibi, a former commander of the KLA and vice-chairman of the PPDK as well as Heset Baftiari, were arrested. The three were arrested as they refused to close the café. After public protests and talks with Lamberto Kevin, the commander of the American troops in Vitia, the café was reopened and Skėnderbe was released. The release of the other two detainees was promised as well.

        GJAKOVA: On January 15, in the early hours of the morning, Italian soldiers in the outskirts of Gjakova stopped the bus and the van of the Shėn Ndou Albanian Catholic Church in Prishtina. The church choir was on an excursion throughout Kosova. The children, who were in the company of abbot Don Nosh Gjolaj, were taken out of the vehicles and the vehicles were searched for half an hour. Later on, the children under the age of ten were allowed to enter the bus whereas the others were thoroughly checked. The soldiers justified their action claiming that they had found weapons among other children (!). Apart from Don Noshi, Fatmir Hoxha, two nuns, seven missionaries and one woman from the Philippines, employee with the OSCE, were accompanying the children.

        Evidence on war criminals

        OBILIQ: The Albanian villagers of Babimoc presented a list with the names of the Serb paramilitaries who participated in the killings of the Albanians and the burning of the Albanian villages in Drenica and other regions in Kosova. The names of the following were in the list: Milorad Danēetoviq – Mile, commander of the local military units, Zoran Trajkoviq, commander of the paramilitaries; brothers Jovica, Novica (Nole –captain) and Rashko Nikoliq; brothers Mura and Franda Tisa Petroviq and Dushko Petroviq, Milun Petroviq, Goran Petroviq and Boban Petroviq; Toma Jovanoviq, Sasha Jovanoviq, Miqa Jovanoviq, Rade Jovanonoviq – Lake and Dragutin Jovanoviq; Zhivorad Agjanēiq – Zhika, Ēasllav Agjanēiq – Lista, Zharko Agjanēiq and Dragan Agjanēiq; Milan Miliq, Dragan Miliq and Gjoka Miliq; Nenad Bojkoviq and Toma Bojkoviq; Dragan Petkoviq and Vojislav Petkoviq; Tisa Ristiq and Lola Ristiq; Dragan Miqaloviq and Milorad Miqaloviq; Dragisha Stanojeviq and Stanisha Stanojeviq; as well as Aleksandar Igiq (the son of Zhivorad Igiq, former high official of the SPS in Kosova), Milosh Mishiq - captain, Zhivojin Danēetoviq, Nebojsha Zlakiq, Predrag Milosavleviq – Pedi, Miqa Daniq, Boban Slaviq and Sasha Mihailoviq – Petalta.

        According to the Albanian villagers of Babimoc, there are indications that Ēasllav Agjanēiq executed 4 Albanian youngsters from Barileva. The hands of the victims were tied. Gjoka Miliq was the person who organized the attack on the houses of his Albanian fellow-villagers on March 24, 1999.  Miqa Daniq and Miqa Jovanoviq were among those who ill-treated the displaced Albanians moving through the village of Vranidoll near Prishtina, on April 30, 1999. 300 Albanians were arrested. Toma Bojkoviq participated in many crimes in the villages of Vushtrria. Most of the Serbs from the village of Babimoc, who were accused of war crimes, are still in this village. Slavisha Vukadinoviq from the village of Palaj near Obiliq commanded with a paramilitary unit, which terrorized the villagers of Barileva.

        Delayed information:

        KAMENICA: On January 6, at 7 a.m., some 500 soldiers (Americans and Russians) accompanied with 60 vehicles and 10 helicopters, searched some 140 houses in the village of Koperrnica, under the pretext of searching for weapons. Many doors were broken, especially in the vacant houses. 5 guns were found and the following were arrested: Hysen Ejup Sinani (1973), Halil Sinani, Riza M. Ajvazi, Selman Ajvazi and Hasan H. Hoxha. Hysen was physically ill treated by a Russian soldier in the Ceramics Factory in Kamenica. For more than 4 hours he was kept in the cold. Hysen suffered injuries on his head. Prior to the raid, Shefik Beqiri, the commander of the 172 Brigade of the 6th operational zone of the TMK was arrested.
        LIPJAN: On January 7, at about 9 p.m., a group of 30 Serbs armed with firearms and hand bombs tried to enter the “Jehona” café in Lipjan. Many Albanians were threatened. 4 cars were demolished.
        PRISHTINA: On January 7, at about 2 p.m., Serbs from the village of Kishnica blocked the road between Prishtina and Gjilan. In the presence of KFOR troops, they threw stones on the buses and passing cars. Serbs from Graēanica attacked an Albanian elderly. Several Albanian youngsters came out of a bus to defend the old man. Both sides threw stones and bottles at each other. KFOR prevented further conflicts.
        VITI: During the last few days, American soldiers in Vitia ill-treated a large number of Albanian citizens. The following are among the ill-treated: Qazim Ukshini, a member of the public order police; Ardian Bislimi, a pupil, and Xhabir Ismajli – from Drobesh; Ruzhdi Salihu from Remnik and Baki Ramadani from Gjylekara (deaf), employee of the “Vinex” Enterprise in Vitia. After public protests and talks with high ranking officers of the American troops in Vitia it was promised that such cases would not occur in the future (beatings, ill treatments, arbitrary arrests, etc.).

        Prishtina, January 16, 2000                           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