COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF  HUMAN  RIGHTS AND  FREEDOMS
KËSHILLI PËR MBROJTJEN E TË DREJTAVE E TË LIRIVE TË NJERIUT

REPORT 473

on the situation of the human rights and freedoms in Kosova, from  November 21 until November 30, 1999

        During the last 10 days, according to the information we have, 13 citizens were killed, of whom 4 were Albanians, 1 was Serb, whereas, the identity of the other 8 could not be confirmed (including 2 women); 14 persons were wounded (11 Albanians, 1 person whose identity could not be confirmed and 2 UNMIK policemen); 3 cases of attempted kidnappings were reported (including two 9-year-old girls); the corpses of 13 Albanians were identified and the corpses of 2 Albanians were found – killed by the Serbian forces before and during the NATO intervention in Kosova.

Killings

        On November 18, the corpses of Idriz Hamdi Syla (1955) and of his son Xhemail (1982), Roma from the village of Hallaq i Vogël near Lipjan, were taken from the morgue of the Prishtina Hospital, by family members. There are no information on the circumstances and the place of the killing.
        On November 22, at about 1 a.m., the corpse of a male person (of about 30), who had been shot on his head, was found in the vicinity of Ferizaj. At about 3 p.m., the corpse of a 16-year-old boy was found in the vicinity of Ferizaj. The victim seems to have stepped on a land mine.
        On November 23, the corpse of Razman Tonë Nikaj (32) was found in the vicinity of the village of Qerim near Gjakova, on the bank of the river Llukac. The victim was killed with firearms. He was last seen in the vicinity of the taxi station, on November 19, at about 4 p.m. Ever since, his whereabouts were unknown.
        On November 27, the corpse of an unidentified woman was found in the village of Xërxa near Rahovec.
        On November 28, at about 11 p.m., automatic fire was opened on the visitors of the “Kabana” pub. According to eyewitnesses, a youngster from the village of Lladova near Gjilan opened fire killing Remzi Ramush Buzaku (1974) and wounding Fadil Hoti (1966), Refik Hasani (1969), Bajram Bunjaku (1969), Ali Mustafa (1971), Halit Jakupi (1972), Selami Dubova (1974), Hysen Shkodra (1978), Jeton Maksuti (1979), Driton Shabani and 2 UNMIK policemen (one
heavily and the other lightly). KFOR soldiers and UNMIK police arrested the perpetrator.
-At about 12.45 a.m., Dragosllav Bashiq (52) was shot and killed at the “Dardania” quarter in Prishtina. His wife (52) and mother-in-law (76) were beaten and suffered severe body injuries. The two were taken to the Fushë Kosova Hospital. Their car was burned. Hundreds of people witnessed the event.
-The corpse of an unidentified person (30) was found in the village of Rimanishta near Prishtina.
-UNMIK police reported that the corpse of an unidentified woman was found in the village of Grashtica near Prishtina. It is supposed that the killing occurred one week before.
-The very same day, Florim Zeqiri (23) was killed in the village of Llausha near Podujeva and one person was wounded. In the evening, Mursel Ymeri (33) was killed in Podujeva.
        On November 30, Lekë Kuçi was killed by unidentified persons, in his house-yard in the village of Leskoc near Klina.
In Mitrovica, KFOR soldiers found the corpse of an unidentified person, who had been shot on his head.
An unidentified corpse was found near the Bistrica river, in the vicinity of the village of Broliq near Peja. The victim seemed to have been killed recently.

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

        On November 22, at about 3.30 p.m., KFOR soldiers found the corpse of unidentified woman in the village of Rogova near Gjakova. The victim seemed to have been killed several months ago.
        On November 24, the corpses of the following were exhumed from a mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Suhadoll near Mitrovica and indentified: Xhevdet Mexhit Ahmeti (16) from the village of Mazhiq, Bajram Xhafer Musa (18) from Bajgora, Shkëlqim Shahin Ademi (18) from Rashan, Shemsi Xhafer Istrefi (22) from Kovaçica, Asllan Ramadan Cimili (26) from Melenica and Ahmet Ibish Haxha (28) from Magjera, KLA soldiers; Avdyl Xhevat Ismajli (35) and Rrustem Hyseni (52) from the village of Gumnishta as well as Istref Shahin Avdiu (60) from Ovçar. Until now, the victims had been reported missing. In two other graves, the personal documents of Murat Sejdi Draga from the village of Leqina as well as those of Florim Jusuf Krasniqi were found. A few days ago, the corpses of Shaban Sali Igrishta (77) and of his daughter Sabrije (35) from the village of Selac, were exhumed from a mass grave in Vërrnica and identified. The two were killed by Serb soldiers, in the village of Vaganica, on May 12.
        On November 25, the corpse of Xheladin Idrizi (74) from Fushë Kosova, was identified by his son. The victim was exhumed from a grave in the village of Vragolia near Fushë Kosova, on November 22.
        On November 26, the corpse of Hashim Rrustem Berisha (73) from the village of Shtutica, was found near the place called “Kroi i keq” – Shtuticë-Gllogoc. The victim went missing on April 1999.

        MALISHEVA:  On November 23, it was reported that Bajram M. Karaçica from the village of Balinca had died in the Peja Hospital. He had been taken there by the Serbian police in a deteriorated health condition due to being tortured at the police station. Bajram was reported missing since March, 1999.

        GLLOGOC: On November 28-29, the skeletons of 4-5 people were found near the village of Tërstenik. According to the things that were found there, there is a possibility that the number of corpses may be higher.

        KAÇANIK: Family members identified the corpse of Ramadan Hysen Rexha (1955) from the village of Ivaja. He was arrested by the Serbian police on March 30. On November 11, his corpse was found in a mass grave near the place called Kashan, 8 km from Kaçanik. The identification was done according to photos of the deceased as well as other personal belongings.

Mine accidents:

        KLINA: Lush Dedaj was wounded in a mine explosion and taken to hospital.

Woundings:

        FERIZAJ: On November 28, in the evening hours, a citizen was wounded in a blast.

Disappearances – kidnappings

        VITI: On November 23, at about 9 a.m., two unidentified persons (a male and a female) tried to kidnap Izmere Zuka (9) from the village of Pozharan. As the victim resisted the kidnappers fled in a black car.

        PRIZREN: On November 24, Jahir Hasani and Driton Krasniqi, who were kidnapped 10 days ago, were released.

        KAMENICA: On November 27, at about 9.30 p.m., in the village of Hodonoc, 4 Serbs from the village of Domoroc (including the paramilitary named Mirko), physically ill-treated and tried to kidnap Muhamet A. Basha from Kamenica. The next day, KFOR military police arrested Mirko and took him to the prison in the military base in Sojeva. The very same day, Serbs from the village of Domoroc stopped Lulzim Hyseni from Hodonoc, took him out of his car and beat him, accusing him for Mirko’s arrest.

        PEJA: On November 30, two persons tried to kidnap a 9-year-old girl in the vicinity of the football stadium in Peja. The girl was saved by KFOR soldiers who happened to be in the vicinity and heard her cries for help.

Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations

        KAMENICA: On November 21, a Serb named Nesha, who was accompanied by two Russian soldiers, went to the house of Bajram Veli Ademi in the village of Rahovica. Nesha threatened Bajram claiming that his sons had sent KFOR soldiers to his house, on which occasion he had been disarmed and arrested.
        Between November 18-22, Budimir Vasiq, Tihomir Milosheviq-Tika and Zoran Arsiq, Serb employees working with KFOR, disconnected the electric power to the new Ceramics Factory in Karaçeva. At the very same factory, Russian soldiers damaged a “Kada” furnace. The estimated damage is DM 800.000.
        On November 28, some 30 Serbs from the village of Stralica (village inhabited by Serbs) tried to stop and opened fire towards the car of Rrahman Beqiri. Rrahman and his family were traveling from the village of Koperrnica to Kamenica. In the village of Ranillug, a Serb opened automatic fire towards a car in which three passengers were traveling between Gjilan and Kamenica.
        On November 28, Halil Kastrati, driver, and Haki Kastrati, co-driver, with the “Kaolini” transport enterprise were physically ill treated while traveling between the villages of Karaçeva and Bujanoc. The very same policemen prevented Nazmije Ramadani from traveling to the village of Konçul. The pretext was that she is from Gjilan.

        MITROVICA: On November 22, at about 3.30 p.m., a group of Serbs led by Bogolub Cica Jeftiq (40) from the village of Suhadoll, physically ill treated the following teachers: Semir Avdi Seferi (45) from Koshtova, Hamdi Peci (32) and Selim Nazif Sahiti (50) from Gushavc, Xhevat Ibrahimi from Kçiç i Madh and Nexhmedin Sinan Asllani from Vinarc i Epërm. The latter suffered severe injuries. On hearing about this incident the villagers of Gushafc headed towards the village of Suhadoll but were prevented by French soldiers.
        On November 26, at about 10 p.m., a group of Serbs through a bomb at the house of Bahri Berisha in the “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter in the Northern part of Mitrovica. Windows were broken.
        On November 28, at about 3.30 p.m., a group of Serbs led by the policemen named Ivan, broke into the flat of Kimete Behaj (40) in the Northern part of Mitrovica and expelled her from there.

        GLLOGOC: On November 28, at about 9 p.m., Hamit Tahir Selmani (1973) from the village of Shtutica was stopped and ill treated by masked persons.

        BUJANOC: According to the reports of the sub-CDHRF in Bujanoc, which are based on information received from Serb lawyers, the following Albanians are being kept in detention in the prisons of Serbia: Shukri Dervish Gashi and Berat Ramadan Xhezairi from Prizren; Fatmir Shasivar Memaj, Kujtim Ekrem Memaj, Nexhmedin Haki Ajazaj and Adem Tahir Elezkurtaj from Zhur; Tahir Adem Ibrahimaj from Lybeçeva; Shaban Kamber Gjimbedi from Lubizhda; Afrim Muhamet Berisha from Lez; Elez Dursim Haxhillari from Struzha; Avdyl and Jahir Morina from the village of Orllat near Gllogoc; Agim Isa Krasniqi and Engjëll Zef Prekaj from the village of Leskoc near Klina; Ilaz Avdi Hoxholli from the village of Ajvalia near Prishtina; Sali Xhevat Fazliu from Breznica near Obiliq; Nijazi Selim Krasniqi from Pastasella near Rahovec and Islam Imer Thaçi from Belgrade. The above-mentioned are indicted with penal charges described in articles 125 and 136. Several are indicted with penal charges described in the articles 129 and 132 of the Penal Code of FRY.

        DEÇAN: On November 19, Jusuf A. Zekaj from the village of Lëbusha was released from the prison in Nish. He was arrested on September 17, 1998 in the village of Raushiq near Peja.

Eastern Kosova – Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja

        BUJANOC: On November 23, at about 8 p.m., unidentified persons wounded policemen Çaslav Ivkoviq, deputy commander of the police station in Vranje, and Zoran Stoilkoviq. The incident happened in the “buffer zone” on the border with Kosova, between the villages of Lluçan and Konçul. After the incident, police physically ill treated Bilall and Xhelal Ibrahimi from the village of Konçul near Bujanoc.
        On November 24, at about 7.30 p.m., police in the vicinity of the village of Bresiq stopped Zija Hasan Sylejmani (1973) from the village of Rainca near Presheva. He and a fellow-villager of his named Maliq were driving a truck. The two were severely ill treated until 6 a.m. The two had fainted several times. Zija’s nose was broken. He also suffered injuries on his ribs and legs. His mobile phone was looted.
        On November 24, a bus full of passengers was stopped at the police checkpoint in Gryka e Konçulit. The bus driver, his co-driver and an Albanian passenger were ill treated. This is the third such incident at this place after the incidents in Tërnoc and Dobrosin.

KFOR interventions:

        KAMENICA: On November 23, at about 7 p.m., three Russian soldiers forcibly entered into the house of Rexhep Spahiu in the village of Muçivërca. The pretext was that allegedly some Albanians had stolen the cow of a Serb from the village of Çarakoc. Hasan Kallaba, while traveling home with his family, was stopped at the checkpoint of the Russian soldiers in the vicinity of Kolloleq. He and his paralyzed son Blerim were beaten, whereas, his two daughters were insulted. The ill treatment stopped when the “Alpi Komerc” bus passed by. The bus driver and his co-driver insisted that the soldiers stop ill treating the two. Otherwise they would go to complain to the KFOR Center in Kamenica.
         On November 26, at about 8.30 p.m., two Russian soldiers went to the fire department in Kamenica and ordered those on duty to take off the Albanian flag, which had been hoisted on the occasion of the Flag Day. According to the Russian soldiers the building is under KFOR management. The very same day, 4 Albanian youngsters were brutally beaten by Russian soldiers and Serb locals from the village of Kolloleq (a village inhabited by Serbs). An emblem with the Albanian flag was taken out of their car.
        On November 27, two Albanian youngsters who were going to the village of Hogosht, were beaten at the very same place. Russian soldiers often demand from the Albanians tobacco, money and alcohol.
        On November 28, Russian soldiers in the vicinity of the pub in the center of Kamenica arrested Fadil Rexhiqi. He was taken to the building of the former police station and severely ill-treated. On hearing about this case, many citizens gathered in front of the building. Soon after Fadil was released.

        LIPJAN: On November 27, Finnish soldiers took off the “Vëllezërit Frashëri” inscription from the primary school in Lipjan. The pretext was that this inscription provoked local Serbs. 200 Albanians protested against this act. The next day, KFOR soldiers gave back the inscription to the school board.

        MALISHEVA: On November 27, at about 1 a.m., Russian soldiers took off the Albanian flags hoisted on several shops throughout the town.

        PRISHTINA: On November 29, Ylli Dautaj (1970) from New York, a citizen of the USA of Albanian descent, was dismissed from work. Ylli, who used to work with the UNMIK police, was dismissed as he had carried an Albanian flag during the celebrations on November 28.

        PODUJEVA: On November 30, in the early hours of the morning, KFOR soldiers took off the Albanian flag from the building of the district assembly in Podujeva. The soldiers stated that according to the 1244 resolution of the UN Security Council “only the flag of the UN can be hoisted on public buildings”. The Albanian flag had been hoisted on that building on November
27, on the occasion of the Flag Day.

Evidence on war criminals

        PRISHTINA: A list with the names and the phone numbers of the following 20 Serb and Roma paramilitaries was found in the house of Sabit Krasniqi in Kishnica. The paramilitaries are: Goran Trajkoviq, Boban Trajkoviq, Dejan Trajkoviq and Zoran Trajkoviq; Mile Bulajiq and Gjorjge Bulajiq; Zhivorad Mitiq–Zhika and Dragan Mitiq-Burda, Tomislav Jelica Selishnik, Sinisha Jovanoviq, Jovan Karaxhiq, Predrag Gjorgjeviq, Peter Saveliq and Dragan Miliq – from Kishnica; Velko Stalin Iliq, Sinisha Pavle Paniq and Bekim Ruzhdi Berisha (Roma) – from the village of Preoc near Prishtina; Miki Iliq and Dushan Iliq – from Graçanica near Prishtina; Drashko Mirko Andriq from Prishtina, Ivan Lubisha Cvejiq from the village of Hallaq i Madh (Lipjan), Svetislav Rade Krastiq from the village of Skullan near Lipjan, Nebojsha Branko Dikiq from Prilluzha near Vushtrria and Njegosh Jovan Vukadinoviq from Kurshumlia.

Prishtina, November 31, 1999  

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