The institutionalised violence and terror
of the Serbian regime against the Albanians gained the dimensions of
genocide
· The
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was used as a pretext for the ethnic
cleansing of Kosova, through killings, massacres and executions,
through the looting, destruction and burning of settlements and the
mass deportation of the Albanian population.
· Unarmed
Albanian civilians were not spared (including women, children,
newly-born babies and the elderly).
· It is
supposed that some 11.000 Albanians were killed between 1998-1999.
CDHRF has managed to compile a list with the names of 8911 Albanians,
who were killed during this period (6691 in the course of 1999 and
2220 in the course of 1998).
· According
to the data available to the CDHRF 465 Serbs, Montenegrins and Roma
were killed in Kosova during the very same period.
The Serbian violence in Kosova, gained the
dimensions of genocide in the course of 1998 and the first 6 months of
1999. This violence was stripped of basic human values and aimed the
extermination of the Albanians. The killings and the massacres, which
aimed the extermination of the Albanian population in Kosova, unmasked
the policy and the genocidal character of the Serbian regime and
state.
Death squads did not spare unarmed Albanian
civilians (including women, children, newly-born babies and the
elderly). In order to hide their crimes, Serbian forces burned the
corpses of their victims, unburied them and took them to unknown
locations.
There are indications that the corpses of some
of the killed were burned in the furnaces of the “Trepça” mines,
some were thrown in water wells, in pits for slaking lime, in ravines
or were buried in mass graves. A large number of victims were left
unburied for months. 550 mass gravesites were discovered….
Between January 1 and December 31, 1999, the
CDHRF registered the following:
7156 persons were killed, of whom
6691 Albanians, of whom
859 women
553 children
1312 elderly
283 unidentified persons
465 Serbs, Montenegrins and other minorities,
of whom
29 women
3 children
45 elderly
23 unidentified
The total number of the killed is supposed to be
at least 11.000. More than 2000 Albanians are imprisoned in the
prisons of Serbia and Vojvodina. The number of the missing and the
kidnapped is estimated to 4000. The CDHRF and the Sub-Councils possess
the lists with the names of the above mentioned. Serbian policemen,
soldiers and paramilitaries raped Albanian women in different parts of
Kosova. The number of buildings, which were destroyed, damaged or
burned, is very high (including private houses and apartments, shops
and factories, schools and other educational, cultural and scientific
institutions, religious objects, historical and cultural monuments,
etc.). It is estimated that between March 1998 and June 1999, some
1100 Albanian settlements were burned and destroyed (partially or
completely); some 200.000 houses, apartments, workshops, factories,
schools, libraries, historical and cultural monuments, religious,
scientific and cultural objects were looted, burned and destroyed
(partially or completely).
In the course of 1999, CDHRF registered the
following: 6691 Albanians were killed and mutilated, of whom 859
women, 553 children, 1312 elderly. Out of the total number of the
killed, the identity of 218 could not be confirmed. 2220 persons were
killed in the course of 1998. The corpses and the skeletons of the
killed are still being found in different parts of Kosova. The teams
of the Hague Tribunal have stopped their investigation of the crimes
perpetrated in Kosova and the identification of the killed due to the
weather conditions. They are to continue with their work in spring.
The relatives of the victims continue to search for their beloved
ones, as there is a justifiable fear that most of those who went
missing during the conflict in Kosova (7000) were executed.
According to the available data to the CDHRF
(which are still incomplete), some 3500 persons went missing or were
kidnapped by the Serbian forces. 1027 Albanians went missing or were
kidnapped in the municipality of Gjakova, 234 in Gllogoc, 209 in
Mitrovica (it is supposed that the number of those who went missing in
Mitrovica is about 400 (men, women, children and elderly). Yet, their
identity could not be confirmed as they were from the other parts of
Kosova and had sought shelter in Mitrovica during the war), 127 in
Skënderaj, 125 in Deçan, 74 in Vushtrria, 52 in Malisheva, 32 in
Obiliq, 28 in Prishtina, 17 in Kaçanik, 14 in Ferizaj, etc. According
to family members 146 Albanians, 12 Serbs and 4 Roma went missing in
the village of Krusha e Madhe near Rahovec, 82 Albanians went missing
in Klina and 14 in the village of Bukosh near Suhareka. 1085 persons
were reported missing in the other parts of Kosova.
During the very same period, 465 Serbs,
Montenegrins and other minorities were killed in Kosova, of whom 3
children, 29 women, 45 elderly and 23 persons whose identity could not
be confirmed.
The Serbian violence in Kosova escalated
after the meeting between Holbrook and Milosevic
The Serbian violence in Kosova escalated in
October 1998, after the meeting between Richard Holbrook, the special
representative of the President of the USA, and Slobodan Milosevic,
the President of Yugoslavia, as well as the arrival of the OSCE
Verification Mission in Kosova. In the beginning of 1999, Serbian
police and military forces opened a 25 km front in the Llapi region,
between the villages of Lupç i Poshtëm and Peran near Podujeva.
These villages were attacked with tanks, heavy artillery, rockets,
etc. As a consequence of these attacks some 45.000 Albanians were
forced to flee their homes. Due to the lack of food and medical
assistance several cases of death were reported.
During this period, the situation in the regions
engulfed by war was very grave. Many villagers in the municipality of
Klina were forced to flee their homes as well. Similar was the
situation in Drenica, Llapusha, Deçan, Reka e Keqe near Gjakova,
Suhareka, Prizren, Rahovec, Ferizaj, Shtime, Obiliq, Fushë Kosova,
etc. The civilians in the above mentioned regions were directly
threatened by the Serbian forces. Furthermore, the villagers of
Shipitulla and Graboc (in the municipality of Obiliq) could not return
to their homes for several months due to the large presence of Serbian
forces.
The situation of the civilians was very grave.
They were facing different diseases due to the lack of food, medicine,
and other necessities. The situation was made even more difficult due
to the cold weather. During the months of January, February and March
1999, large police, military and paramilitary forces as well as heavy
weaponry were deployed to Kosova. In many parts of Kosova, local Serbs
were mobilized and weapons were distributed to them. Later on, the
very same participated in the crimes of the Serbian police and
military forces against the Albanians and their settlements. The
Yugoslav army mined roads and bridges and provoked incidents in order
to terrorise the Albanian civilians and to force them to flee their
homes. Later on, these were looted, burned and destroyed by Serbian
policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries as well as Serbian and Roma
civilians.
On January 19, an incident in the “Ura e
Gjakut” quarter in Mitrovica was used as a pretext for a huge action
of the Serbian forces against the inhabitants of the “Ura e Gjakut”
and “Bair” quarters, Shipol as well as the villagers of Vaganica e
Poshtme and Vaganica e Epërme. During this action, 2 Albanians were
killed and a large number were arrested, ill-treated or went missing.
During the first 6 months of 1999, many villages
in the municipalities of Skënderaj, Gllogoc, Malisheva, Hani i Elezit,
Kaçanik, Rahovec, Klina, Gjakova, Deçan, Prizren, Suhareka, Shtime,
Lipjan, Podujeva, etc. were targeted as well. The Serbian police and
military forces shelled the Albanian villages on a daily basis. Once
the population fled, the houses were looted, burned and destroyed.
The killings, executions and the
massacring of tens of Albanian families-including women, children and
elderly
During the month of January 1999, 3 cases of
mass executions of Albanian civilians by the death squads of the
Serbian regime were registered in Kosova. On January 15, 51 Albanians
were massacred in Reçak. On January 24, 5 Albanians were killed in
Rakovina (including two children and one woman). On January 29, 26
Albanians were massacred in the village of Rogova near Gjakova.
On January 15, 1999, Serbian police, military
and paramilitary forces as well as armed Serbian civilians attacked
the village of Reçak. Later on, large forces entered the village
massacring unarmed Albanian civilians (including women and elderly,
who could not flee). According to the eyewitnesses who survived this
massacre, many villagers were arrested and taken in the direction of
Shtime. Later on, they were massacred at the place called “Kodra e
Bebushit”. Many of the killed were mutilated, whereas Banush Azemi
(63) was decapitated. After this tragedy, the villagers of Reçak took
the corpses of the massacred to the local mosque. Yet, Serbian forces
came, took the corpses from the local mosque and sent them to the
Forensic Institute in Prishtina, allegedly to carry out the autopsy.
The families of the victims requested the help of the OSCE
Verification Mission in Kosova in getting the corpses back. Yet,
Serbian authorities prevented this. The families of the killed
believed that the Serbian authorities wanted to manipulate with the
mutilated corpses of their relatives. Furthermore, on being taken to
Shtime several corpses were once again returned to Prishtina. About a
month later, on February 11, the funeral of 40 of the killed took
place.
The massacre in Rakovina occurred in the
vicinity of the Rakovina Bridge on the road between Prishtina and
Gjakova, on January 24, at about 9 p.m. Serbian police opened
automatic fire from an armoured car killing Shaban T. Kelmendi (45)
and his children Haxhi (11) and Besim Kelmendi (12) from Rakovina, as
well as Hysen and Sanije Kurti from Cërmjan. The five were travelling
in a tractor to the village of Cërmjan.
On January 29, Serbian police and military
forces massacred 26 Albanians in the village of Rogova near Gjakova.
According to the eyewitnesses who survived this massacre, at about
5.30 a.m., Serbian policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries besieged the
village, searched and demolished many houses. The terrified villagers
fled in all directions. Many were killed while doing so.
The Serbian regime exposed its true face
and its genocidal aims the moment it seemed that the Kosova crisis was
to be solved
Serbian terror escalated and culminated, once
it seemed that the struggle of the Kosovars, led by the KLA, was
leading towards the solving of the Kosova issue, prior to and during
the international intervention for solving the Kosova issue in
February and March 1999, especially with the withdrawal of the OSCE
Verification Mission in Kosova and other international organizations,
which were largely present in Kosova until March 20, 1999. That was
the moment when the Serbian regime exposed its true face and its
genocidal aims for the ethnic cleansing of Kosova and for the
extermination of the Albanians in these territories.
On March 20, the day the international monitors
left Kosova, Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces arrested
hundreds of people and killed 30 Albanians in Skënderaj. On March 24,
1999, at about 5.15 p.m., once the NATO intervention was announced
(but prior to the attacks on the Serbian targets in Yugoslavia and
Kosova), 22 Albanians were executed by the Serbian forces in the
village of Kotlina near Kaçanik. Police threw the corpses of the
killed into a deep ravine in order to hide the traces of this crime.
The night between March 24-25, 1999, once the
NATO bombing started, members of the Serbian special police forces in
Prishtina arrested Bajram Kelmendi, a lawyer, member of the CDHRF
Board in Prishtina, and his two sons Kastriot, a student, and Kushtrim
Kelmendi, a pupil. The very same night, they were executed.
The night between March 24-25, 1999, Serbian
criminals killed Latif Berisha, a poet and a professor with the
University of Prishtina and chairman of the LDK branch in Mitrovica,
Agim Hajrizi, a well-known activist, chairman of the Assembly of the
Independent Trade Unions of Kosova, his son and his mother, as well as
Enver Haliti, an activist. In Gjakova, Serbian criminals burned the
bazaar with more than 300 shops, arrested and killed a large number of
Albanian youngsters, not even sparing the elderly, children and newly
born babies. The very same night, Serbian policemen and paramilitaries
executed Dr. Izet Hima, a surgeon, and Avni Ferizi, an academician.
Their houses were burned and so was the atelier of the latter. The
exact number of the killed in Gjakova is unknown, as there are still
no information on the whereabouts of more than 1000 people, who went
missing (whether they were executed or are alive in the prisons of
Serbia).
Killings, executions and massacres of the
Albanians throughout Kosova
The campaign of institutionalised state
terror, killings, massacres and executions engulfed the whole
territory of Kosova. Serbian policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries
imposed free reign violence and acted without any moral, human or
legal responsibility. They killed the young and the elderly, not even
sparing children and newly-born babies. They killed with or without a
pretext. The only reason to kill was because their victims were
Albanians. The only reason to do so was to make them flee Kosova
(those who were not killed or butchered). Only in the village of
Krusha e Madhe near Rahovec, 204 Albanians were massacred, of whom172
could not be identified. 10 mass gravesites were identified in this
village.
All these acts of barbarism were registered in
our reports (acts of the Serbian police, military and paramilitary
forces and unfortunately acts of local Serbian civilians who did not
hesitate to raise their arms against their Albanian neighbours, with
whom they have lived side by side for decades).
On March 28, 1999, 127 Albanian civilians were
killed in the village of Izbica near Skënderaj. An eyewitness, who
had survived this massacre, declared that Serbian soldiers came to the
village, separated men from women, lined them in groups of 3 and
opened automatic fire. “When they opened fire, I hit the ground
pretending to be dead. Once they left, I crawled to the nearby forest.
All the others were killed”, stated the villager.
On April 15, 1999, 18 Albanian civilians were
killed in the village of Sllovia near Lipjan. Another group of 17
Albanians, mainly from Sllovia, were killed at the place called “Lugu
i Demës”. Eyewitnesses claim that these civilians were executed by
a paramilitary unit led by the criminal named Toshiq.
On April 17, 1999, 52 Albanian civilians, mainly
women, children and elderly, were executed in the village of Poklek
near Gllogoc. 21 children aged between 6 and 13 were killed in this
massacre. The very same day, the Vishesella family from the village of
Ribar i Vogël near Lipjan was massacred. A similar thing happened to
the Elshani, Llugani, Muçolli and Berisha families.
On April 18, 1999, the Serbian forces undertook
a wide campaign against the Albanian villagers of Hallaç, Ribar i
Vogël, Bujan, Bregu i Zi, Godanc i Poshtëm and Kraishta near Lipjan.
During that action, there were widespread lootings and mass executions
of Albanian citizens, including women children and elderly. 13 members
of Rexhep Vishesella’s family were killed in the village of Ribar i
Poshtëm. The death squads were comprised of Serbian paramilitaries in
black uniforms and of policemen. These units have executed people in
their homes and house yards. They even used dum-dum bullets. Prior to
being executed, all valuables were looted from the victims. 23
Albanians were executed in the village of Hallaç and 19 in Ribar i
Vogël. Many were killed in Kraishta and the other attacked villages
as well. Some 10.000 Albanians fled their homes and sought shelter in
the mountains of Varigoc and Zborc (with no food and other basic
necessities).
On April 20, 21 and 22, 1999, the Albanian
villagers of Grashtica near Prishtina were massacred. 8 members of the
Jakupi family from the village of Orllan near Podujeva were killed a
few days before the arrival of NATO troops to Kosova. The Bala family
from Peja was massacred on June 12, 1999, the day NATO troops entered
Kosova. During the actions of the Serbian police, military and
paramilitary forces, many Albanian families were killed and massacred
throughout Kosova.
Mass expulsions and deportations – the
final “cleansing” of Kosova
Apart from torture, killings, executions,
massacres, the looting, burning and destruction of their homes and
property, the people of Kosova experienced the forced expulsion,
displacement and deportation from their territories and the ethnic
cleansing of Kosova. The numbers and the statements of those expelled
tell of the total cleansing of many Albanian settlements in Kosova.
The Albanian civilians who were expelled on mass from Prishtina,
Mitrovica, Suhareka, Rahovec, Ferizaj, Shtimje, Kaçanik, Gjilan,
Lipjan, Vushtrria, Gjakova, Peja, etc., fled towards Kukës, the
border with Macedonia and the regions mainly inhabited by Albanians
and Bosniacs in Montenegro. Long queues of people on foot, by tractors
or by train were being deported from Kosova (persecuted by the Serbian
forces). Among those who fled, many were in age, ill or handicapped,
pregnant women, children or newly-born babies. These people travelled
for many kilometres in difficult weather conditions with memories of
the killed, who were left unburied, corpses thrown by the roads,
burning houses, etc.
These were the things most of the deported
experienced.
To those who fled to Macedonia Bllaca was the
place where they confronted death. Many among the elderly, children
and the ill, succumbed to fatigue, hunger and the cold. Bllaca was a
human catastrophe caused by the inhuman policy towards an unprotected
nation. The events in Bllaca were condemned by the international
public opinion.
According to the available data, 1 million
Albanians fled due to the Serbian terror: 450.000 to Albania, 240.000
to Macedonia, 64.500 to Montenegro, 18.500 to Bosnia, 15.000 to
Turkey, 5-6000 to Croatia, 2500 to Bulgaria, etc. Most of the refugees
stayed in Albania or in Macedonia. Yet, a large number was transferred
to third countries, i.e. the USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland,
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, etc.
With the end of the war and the arrival of NATO
troops in Kosova, most of the refugees returned spontaneously to their
homes not waiting for the organized return announced by international
humanitarian organizations and institutions.
Many houses, apartments, cultural and
historical monuments were burned and destroyed throughout Kosova -
religious objects and leaders were not spared
Throughout Kosova, Serbian police, military
and paramilitary forces as well as Serbian and Roma civilians looted,
burned and destroyed Albanian houses, apartments, shops, religious
objects as well as cultural and historical objects. Personal documents
- ID cards, passports, registry books, and other documents were seized
and destroyed. International organizations have estimated that some
100.000 houses were burned and destroyed in Kosova (on average every
third house was made uninhabitable). The very same organizations
believe that some 250.000 people will spend this winter in very
difficult conditions.
Religious objects were not spared from the
looting, burning and destruction.
A commission was established by the Board of the
Islamic Community in Kosova to assess the damages. According to their
data, 13 imams were killed and 14 pupils of the Moslem religious
secondary school and students of the Faculty of Islamic Studies in
Prishtina. During the war, Serbian police, military and paramilitary
forces as well as local Serbs damaged, burned or destroyed 209 mosques
and other religious objects (including 5 in Serbia proper). In Gjakova,
Serbian criminals apart from the bazaar burned the “Hadumi” mosque
dating from the XVI century (one of the most beautiful objects of
Islamic Art in the Balkans) and the masjid with a very rich library
containing unique works in Albanian, Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
Mass graves cannot conceal the crimes
Serbian criminals, apart from their brutality
in killing, executing, massacring and torturing their victims, have
constantly made efforts to conceal their crimes by burying the corpses
of the killed and massacred, by removing them from one place to the
other, by throwing the corpses into water wells and ravines or by
burning them. Yet, the crimes in Kosova could not be concealed. 550
mass gravesites were identified in Kosova as well as thousands of
individual graves with the decomposed corpses and skeletons of the
victims of the Serbian criminals, who continue to move freely
throughout Kosova. Many of the corpses cannot be identified. Yet,
thanks to certain clothing items, to the professional knowledge of the
teams for the identification of the killed and to information from the
relatives of the executed or the missing, the crimes of the Serbian
criminals are being revealed. The criminals cannot escape penal
responsibility and the deserved punishment for their crimes.
Mass gravesites were identified throughout
Kosova (in cemeteries, ravines, water wells, in pits for slaking lime,
in improvised crematoriums, in certain industrial objects, etc.). Some
of the crimes will never be revealed. Yet, the crimes that were and
are to be revealed with the exhumation of many corpses from mass
gravesites will expose the crimes the Belgrade regime tried to
conceal. In our reports, we have identified mass gravesites in the
villages of Gushavc, Suhadoll i Poshtëm, Suhadoll i Epërm, Shupkoc,
Vaganica and Vërnica in the municipality of Mitrovica. In the village
of Vidimriq near Mitrovica, French soldiers buried the corpses of 11
Albanians, who were killed by the Serbian forces. 15 Albanians, who
were killed by the Serbian forces, were buried in the “Tavnik”
quarter in Mitrovica. It is believed that there are mass gravesites in
the villages of Bugariq, Baran and Koshtova e Bobit as well. Mass
gravesites were identified in the fields of Ymer Bala near the “Ibër
Lepenc” hydro-system and the fields of Xhevat Gashi in Dardhishta
near Obiliq. Different items were found in the house of Rexhep Zeqir
Kurteshi (68) in the “Qendra” quarter in Mitrovica. These items
show that the Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces killed,
executed and massacred Albanian civilians and probably raped Albanian
women in the very center of Mitrovica. The very same happened in
Gjakova, Peja and other towns and villages throughout Kosova. A mass
grave was identified at the place called “Tauk bahçe” in the
suburbs of Prishtina. It is believed that there is another mass grave
in the Albanian cemetery in Prishtina. Roma civilians were ordered by
the Serbian police to bury Albanian civilians in these mass graves.
The situation of the Albanian prisoners
continues to be very grave
The 1244 resolution of the UN Security
Council and the military agreement between NATO and the Yugoslav Army,
which was reached on June 1999, did not include the release of the
Albanian prisoners. This enabled the Belgrade regime to keep some 7000
Albanians in detention and by doing so to blackmail the people of
Kosova and to keep them under constant strain. The situation of the
detained Albanians is very grave and getting worse. The Albanian
prisoners in Nish, Pozharevc, Leskovc, Prokuple, Vranje, Mitrovica e
Sremit, etc., are subjected to torture and are confronted with death.
The prisoners receive an insufficient amount of food. They do not
receive any medicine or medical assistance. They are ill-treated by
prison guards and policemen as well as by Serbian deserters and
ordinary criminals. On August 11, 1999, the corpses of Sali Kurtaj
(48) from Gjilan and Tefik Saliu (1926) from Ferizaj, who were killed
in the Belgrade prison, were brought to Kosova. Muhamet Basha (66)
from the village of Vraniq died in the prison in Prokuple, whereas,
Sadik Jahir Agushi (1958) from the village of Drenoc near Klina died
in the prison of Mitrovica e Sremit. Zeqë Adem Hasaj (1953) from the
village of Kodralia near Deçan died a week after being released from
the prison in Zajeçar. Zeqa died due to the injuries suffered while
being tortured in prison.
The Humanitarian Law Fund based in Belgrade
informed the public opinion on the fact that there are many Albanian
juveniles in the prisons of Serbia accused for “terrorism” and
that pregnant women have given births while in prison. In order to
justify the keeping in detention of so many people, Serbian
authorities bring Albanian prisoners to court and sentence them to
many years of prison for “terrorism” and “subversive activity”,
despite the fact that most of them were arrested in their homes or
house yards. Among the sentenced “terrorists” is Dr. Flora Brovina,
a poetess, physician and humanitarian activist. She was sentenced to
12 years of imprisonment because of offering medical assistance to
those wounded and distributing aid to children and the handicapped.
Many international organizations demanded the release of Flora Brovina,
including the Swedish Government. While in court, Flora Brovina stated
that if free she would again do the same, she would offer medical and
humanitarian assistance to all, Serbian children, Roma, etc.
After the arrival of KFOR troops the scale of
violence decreased-Yet, the situation in Mitrovica, Anamorava and
Rahovec continues to be tenseSince June 12, 1999 and the arrival of
KFOR troops in Kosova, the scale of violence as well as that of human
rights abuses in Kosova have decreased. Yet, there are still many
criminal acts with tragic consequences. During this period, more than
400 killings were reported as well as many cases of wounding. Many
were killed and wounded in mine accidents as well.The gravest problems
are in Mitrovica, where the local Serbs, who have concentrated in the
northern part of the town, have blocked this part of the town
preventing the Albanians from returning to their homes. The situation
is made worse by the negligence of the French forces in Mitrovica. The
situation continues to be tense in the region of Anamorava and in the
municipalities of Kamenica and Malisheva (in which Russian soldiers
are stationed). Albanian citizens have prevented the deployment of
Russian soldiers in Rahovec, due to the participation of Russian
mercenaries in the atrocities against the Albanians throughout Kosova.
In many municipalities throughout Kosova, the
identities of the policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries, who have
committed grave crimes, have been revealed. 1426 persons were
identified (mainly Serbs and Montenegrins), who were implicated in the
killings of the Albanians, the looting, burning and destruction of
their houses and property. Many indicted war criminals have returned
to Kosova (4 in the northern part of Mitrovica), 1 in Lipjan, whereas,
a number of others are hiding in the villages of the municipality of
Lipjan. Dutch soldiers have arrested a Serb indicted by the Hague
Tribunal for crimes in the municipality of Rahovec. KFOR troops in the
other parts of Kosova have also started arresting those indicted for
war crimes.
In the northern part of Mitrovica, as well as in
the neighbouring villages, Serbian and Roma civilians as well as
Serbian paramilitaries continue to ill-treat Albanian citizens, even
in the presence of French soldiers. In several villages, cases were
reported when Serbs opened fire towards Albanian houses. On July 1,
Veli Feriz Sadiku (66) and his son Avdi (43) from the village of
Gushavc near Mitrovica were attacked with metal bars by a group of
Serbian civilians, in the vicinity of the Ibri Bridge. On July 3, in
the vicinity of the Ibri Bridge, a group of Serbian civilians led by
Slavko Mandiq and a person named Qulle beat an Albanian citizen in the
presence of French soldiers. On July 7, Serbian civilians and
paramilitaries beat Mevlude Aziz Barani (40) from the “Qendra”
quarter, Refiqe Sejdiu (30) from the “Kodra e Minatorëve”
quarter, Rabë Mehmeti (40) from Shipol, and Ejup Hamit Peci (56) from
Rahova. On July 11, 2 armed Serbian civilians wearing masks stopped
Arsim Isa Peci and Naser Jetullah Peci (44) from the village of Zhazha.
On July 12, local Serbs from the village of Suhadoll opened fire
towards the Albanian houses in Gushavc. On July 30, at about 2 p.m., a
group of Serbian hooligans attacked the bus carrying the medical staff
of the Mitrovica Hospital. Nurses Lirie Faik Bajraktari (38) and
Shukrie Nezir Rudari (43) were injured. At about 3 p.m., a group of
Serbian hooligans severely ill-treated Burhan Baliqi, a Bosniac living
in the “Ibri” quarter. On August 6, the Albanian medical staff of
the Mitrovica Hospital was prevented by the Serbs working there as
well as armed Serbian paramilitaries from entering the building. On
August 10, at about 9 p.m., there were two powerful blasts in
Mitrovica. Serbian civilians and paramilitaries led by spouses Ivica
and Mira Ivanoviq, Lila and Damir Gashi entered the Albanian flats in
the “Ibri” and “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarters, physically
ill-treating and evicting the inhabitants. Ismet Qamil Kurti (48),
Arta Ismet Kurti (21), Zelan Hazir Kurti (44), Sitrie (40), Gjylsym
(38), and Sazan Shyqyri Koca (37), Xhevdet Kalludra (53), Ibrahim
Hasan Vitaku (44), Arife Osmani and Qani Osmani suffered heavy
injuries. On August 26, at about 11 p.m., 3 armed Serbs tried to
kidnap Hetem Beqiri (16) from the “Tavnik” quarter. The incident
occurred in the “2 Korriku” quarter in Mitrovica. On August 29, at
about 12.30 p.m., 5 armed Serbs and 4 Roma stopped Agron Behlul Spahiu
(27) from the village of Kastriot near Skënderaj, while going to his
flat in the northern part of Mitrovica. Agron was attacked with knives
and beaten until he fainted.
On August 31, at about 9.30 p.m., there were 4
explosions in the northern part of Mitrovica. The explosions occurred
as many Albanian families decided to return to their homes in the
northern part of the town and KFOR troops had started an operation for
the return of 136 families in the “Kroi i Vitakut” quarter.
Provocations and incidents in other parts
of Kosova
Provocations and incidents, ill-treatments
and random shooting by Serbian civilians and paramilitaries have
continued in different parts of Kosova. Since the arrival of KFOR
troops, many incidents were reported on the road between Gjilan and
Kamenica as well as other local roads connecting the villages in this
region. Serbian civilians opened fire towards cars and passers-by.
Russian forces did not prevent such actions.
On August 14, the meeting between the villagers
of Plemetin and the mayor of Obiliq was not held, as Serbian civilians
locked the premises of the “Pandeli Sotiri” primary school.
Despite the arrival of KFOR troops, the Serbs did not unlock the
school (Serbian and Albanian pupils are supposed to use the same
school building). The next day, a group of 30 Serbian and Roma
civilians, who were travelling in tractors, provoked Albanian
villagers by shouting “Zivela Srbija”. There is only a small
number of Albanians living in the village of Plemetin. There are many
policemen and paramilitaries among the Serbian civilians.
Many Albanians are ill-treated by French
and Russian soldiers
Many provocations and ill-treatments of
Albanian civilians involving French and Russian soldiers were
reported. On August 7, French soldiers ill-treated a number of
Albanians who were trying to go to their homes in the northern part of
Mitrovica. On July 18, 6 French soldiers stopped and severely
ill-treated a group of 6 Albanian youngsters in the Roma quarter in
Mitrovica. Burim Behxhet Brahimi (20) from the village of Koshtova e
Bobit and Naim Deli Deliu (18) from the “Tavnik” quarter in
Mitrovica suffered injuries. On August 2, a large number of French
soldiers and policemen raided all the houses in the village of Oshlan
near Vushtrria. On August 7, French soldiers and the gendarmerie
physically ill-treated a large number of Albanians who were trying to
return to their homes in the northern part of the town. The following
suffered severe body injuries: Besire Sejdiu (42) from the “Qendra”
quarter, Naser Ramadan Aloqi (36) and Veton Hamit Baruti (44) from the
“Ibri” quarter, Sami Sadiku (22) and Nerxhivane Aziz Nimani (30)
from the “Tavnik” quarter, Ramadan Hysen Istrefi (50) and Agron
Avdyli (33) from the “Kroi i Vitakut” quarter, Hajrullah Hysen
Skuroshi (32) from “Tuneli i Parë”, Musa Tahiri (18) from
Stantërg, Hamdi Kajtaz Sheremeti (24) from the village of Oshlan near
Vushtrria, Sherif Meholli (38) from Melenica, Afrim Arifi (28) from
Pantina, Afrim Tafil Osmani (32) from the village of Dolak near
Vushtrria, etc. On August 29, 3 French soldiers severely ill-treated
Hysni Ferat Muja (21) and Esat Januz Musliu (16) from the “Tavnik”
quarter.
On August 9, at about 5 a.m., an armoured car
full of Russian soldiers stopped in front of the house of Shefik Halil
Hoda in the village of Koretin near Kamenica. The Russian soldiers
went into the house yard. As Shefik came out of the house, he was hit
with a rifle butt on his head and suffered heavy injuries. Shefik’s
son Ruzhdi was also attacked while trying to help his father. Later
on, Russian soldiers searched the house terrifying family members,
especially children. A Russian soldier hit Shefik’s wife with the
rifle butt. During the incident, Ruzhdi was threatened with a gun.
Russian soldiers stole 100 boxes of cigarettes and arrested Shefik. He
was taken to the Russian base in Kamenica and kept there until 8 a.m.
Brutal anti-Albanian campaign in Presheva,
Bujanoc and Medvegja
The deportation and the expulsion of the
Albanians from the municipalities of Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja
(in Serbia proper) continues as a consequence of the free reign
violence of the Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces
stationed in the villages on the border between Kosova and Serbia
(contrary to the military agreement signed in Kumanova between NATO
and the Yugoslav army, which envisages that a buffer zone is to be
established 5 km from the border of Kosova, article 1, para. 3e and
4a).
Many cases of looting as well as of usurpation
of Albanian houses, apartments and shops were reported.
Violence against non-Albanians
Many cases of attacks against Serbs and other
non-Albanians were reported (lootings, evictions and burning of
Serbian houses). On July 26, Biserka Aleksa Vasiq (1931), a pensioner
from the village of Orllan near Podujeva, living in “Vuk Karaxhiq”
st. 4 in Prishtina, stated to the CDHRF that unidentified persons
killed her son Lubisha Vasiq (40), a worker with the local water
supply. Biserka stated that her son was not mobilized and did not
participate in the war and that he had no problems with anyone. On
August 13, unidentified persons went into her garage and took her
refrigerator and washing machine.
On August 18, a CDHRF delegation paid a visit to
the Roma camp in the village of Dardhishta near Obiliq. 1230 Roma from
Prishtina and the villages of Fushë Kosova, Obiliq, Lipjan and Shtime
are settled in this camp. They stated to the CDHRF that they were
evicted by force from their homes. A number of them stated that they
were physically ill-treated by the Albanians. One of the interviewed
stated that during the NATO air attacks on the Serbian positions in
Kosova, many Roma came from Nish, Leskovc and other towns in Serbia to
loot in Kosova. Many Roma were forced by the Serbian police, military
and paramilitary forces to “help” in looting the property of the
Albanians, in killing them and in burying those killed. Yet, a number
of Roma from Podujeva and the nearby villages fled together with the
Albanian population during the Serbian attacks. Nowadays, they have no
problems and no one harasses them.
Despite the killings and kidnappings the
situation has started to improve
Recently, the situation in Kosova has started
to improve despite the killings, kidnappings and the mine accidents in
many parts of Kosova. During the last 3 months, 73 violent deaths were
registered in Kosova (of whom 41 were Albanians, 18 Serbs, 1 Roma and
13 persons whose identity could not be confirmed). In the northern
part of Mitrovica, Sevdie Xh. Ujkani (34) and her daughter Edona
Ujkani (11), a pupil, were hit by a car and killed. The driver was a
Serb. Many were killed and wounded in mine accidents, Albanians, Serbs
as well as KFOR soldiers. One of the gravest cases was the killing of
Valentin Krumov, an employee with the UNMIK Civil Administration in
Kosova. The killing was condemned as a grave crime, which seeks to
destabilize the situation in Kosova.
Several cases of kidnappings or attempted
kidnappings were reported in this period. These have caused grave
concern among the population. A girl was kidnapped and the attempted
kidnapping of two others was reported. Teki Bokshi, a lawyer from
Gjakova, was kidnapped in the vicinity of Belgrade. His family was
forced to pay a ransom of DM 100.000. The tensions in Kosova are being
kept high because of the situation in Mitrovica, where the Albanians
cannot return to their homes, schools and jobs. It is difficult to
believe that there shall be peace in Kosova while thousands of
Albanians are still being kept in the prisons of Serbia. Protests are
being held throughout Kosova demanding their release.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Serbian
police, military and paramilitary forces, prior to the NATO attacks,
made efforts to prevent the activities of the CDHRF based in Prishtina.
The communication between the main office of the CDHRF and its field
associates was interrupted. Many activists of the CDHRF were arrested
and killed, including Bajram Kelmendi, a member of the CDHRF Board,
and his two sons, Gafurr Loku, vice-chairman of the Sub-CDHRF in Hani
i Elezit, Xhevdet Leci, member of the board of the Sub-CDHRF in
Prishtina, Rexhep Bislimi, Remzi Ademi, etc. The work of the CDHRF was
practically blocked. Yet, several Sub-Councils continued with their
activity informing the international public opinion on the events in
Kosova. As most of the CDHRF staff was forcibly deported to Macedonia,
it continued its activity there, gathering data on the atrocities of
the Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces in Kosova.
Prishtina, February 3,
2000
Information Service
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
Document
compiled by Dr S D Stein