QUARTERLY REPORT
ON THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL
FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
IN THE COURSE
OF APRIL-JUNE l998
The operations of military,
police and paramilitary forces, which have covered almost 1/2 of the territory
of Kosova during the the course of April-June, have deprived over 214 people,
mainly women, children and elderly, of their lives. Serbian authorities
do not give access to the Albanian physicians to conduct the post mortem
of the killed in order to identify them and to ascertain the cause of death.
Apart from this, they refused investigation by international groups of
physicians. Furthermore, there are many cases when corpses have remained
unburied for days (as it was the case in the villages of Deçan,
Klina, etc.), or they were buried by police order without being identified.
This leads us to believe that those kidnapped or missing are summarily
executed by police.
During the very same
period, apart from killings, massacres, extrajudiciary executions, shellings
of Albanian villages and houses, leveling of settlements to the ground,
Serbian security, military and paramilitary forces have kidnapped, arrested,
raided, looted and ill-treated hundreds of the Albanians regardless of
age and gender. Political and humanitarian activists were on the target
of Serbian police. Investigative proceedings were initiated against some
detainees, accused of being members or collaborators of KLA. Serbian police,
paramilitary forces and armed civilians went on kidnapping Albanians during
the very same period.
According to some information
from the field associates, Serbian armed civilians joined Serbian forces
in rampage killing, destroying, looting, burning and threatening the Albanian
fellow- villagers. Such was the case of an Albanian in Nerodime near Ferizaj.
A Serbian fellow-villager threatened Hilmi Hyseni (1949) from Nerodime:
"Where is your white turf, I'll cut off both your head and turf!".
Since the beginning
of military actions in Kosova, at least 300 people were reported missing,
were kidnapped or taken hostage by the Serbian forces. 198 such cases were
reported during the April-June period. There are also Serbs among the kidnapped,
but their number is much lesser than that of the Albanians. Neither the
relatives nor the humanitarian organizations can get any information on
the whereabouts of the kidnapped. Regardless of the fact that hostage taking
is prohibited by Geneva Convention "in any time and in any place", Serb
and Yugoslav authorities have never ever respected it. In Deçan,
they have taken hostage over 200 people of different age and gender.
Military-police offensive
against the villages in the district of Deçan and Peja, which began
on 25 May, resulted with the extrajudiciary execution of seven members
of Hamza family, one of Gogaj-Cacaj family and one of Delimetaj family
in the village of Lubeniq near Peja.
In his statement given
to Sub-CDHRF in Deçan regarding the very same case, Ardeshir Gogaj
(26), wounded by the Serbian forces in Lubeniq, said: Quote "At about 12.30
p.m., after several shots, we saw Serbian army and police from Peja heading
for Deçan. They entered the village of Lubeniq and beat women, children,
elderly and adults. Then, they went into the house of Shaban Husku, where
10 citizens from Deçan had hidden. They took women and children
and lined them up to execute them. We could see what Serbian army was doing
to them. They came and took us out in the yard. They lined us up to execute
us and opened fire towards us. My brother Haxhi Mehmet Goga (24) was killed,
whereas I was wounded. Later on, I went towards the place called "Zagërlla",
where I saw many killed, about 29. On the way to the mosque, I saw many
killed and wounded near-by the house of Ramë Huskaj. I saw that Zeqë
Misini and his two sons were killed. As I was wounded, I could not go further,
so I went back home, where my brother's corpse was. Then, I passed out
and I have no idea what happened later on. Once again, I point out that
I have seen tens of killed and wounded that remained on the fields, as
well as that tens of houses were ruined and burned. Our villages have become
ruins" Unquote!
On 31 May, at about
1.30 p.m., Serbian forces, after an incident that had happened in the vicinity
of the village of Poklek i Ri, attacked the inhabitants and massacred Ardian
Haxhi Deliu (18), Ahmet Berisha (40), Sefer Qorri (55), Sahit Qorri (55),
Hajriz Hajdini (45), Fidaim Nazmi Berisha (1981), Muhamet Hajdini (about
50), Blerim Shishani and 3 other unidentified Albanians. Except for Ardian's
body, which was in the vicinity of his house, other bodies were seen to
be loaded in a police lorry and their whereabouts are unknown eversince.
Their families suspect that killed and massacred bodies were buried in
a mass grave or were burned by the police. A native, who witnessed the
massacre and a brother of one of the massacred, stated to the Sub-CDHRF
in Gllogoc that he had seen blood stains and vital organs of the massacred
on
the spot, which were removed by the police later on.
Serbian forces have
perpetrated such executions in the majority of the attacked parts of Kosova,
such as the villages in the districts of Gllogoc, Klina, Gjakova, Peja
and Deçan.
On 23 April 1998, the
following were killed, executed or massacred: Shefqet Selim Alijaj (1969),
Bekim Sali Alijaj, Hasan Bajram Tahiraj, Skënder Qazim Hajdari (1969),
Gazmed Hasan Ramaj (1972), Ukë Misin Shabani (1970), Sadik Lush Alijaj
(1961), Hajdar Ramadan Thaçi (1972), Vehbi Asllan Hasanaj (1967)
- from the village of Hereç, district of Gjakova; Veli Noci from
Dujaka near Gjakova; Astrit Xhafer Hadërgjonaj (1977), Beqë Binak
Lokaj (1968), Imer Isuf Lokaj (1970), Bekë Sefer Hadërgjonaj
(1975), Tahir Abaz Mazrekaj (1962), Bekim Shefqet Mazrekaj (1976), Selman
B. Lokaj (1950), Hajdar Lokaj (1975) and Xhemajl Mazrekaj (1969) - from
the village of Sllup, district of Deçan. According to the statement
given to the Sub-CDHRF in Deçan by an eye-witness, who survived
the massacre, the Serbian forces executed the above mentioned Albanians
in the village of Zhara near Batusha, 4 km within the territory of Kosova.
According to the information
from the Sub-Councils, the prevailing tense situation in Kosova is escalating.
According to some information,
not completely confirmed by the Sub-Councils, many villages were leveled
to the ground due to shelling. It is believed that there are more casualties
on both sides.
CDHRF has managed to
compile a list of more than 308 killed and massacred since January 1998.
Whereas, 214 such cases were reported during the April-June quarterly period.
As an aftermath of Serbian
aggression, at least 100.000 Albanians were forced to flee their homes
and villages. Among those displaced, there are some Serbs and Montenegrins.
It is very difficult
to describe what the displaced people had to endure. They had to travel
for more than 100 hours under constant gun fire, in cold weather and with
their little children in their arms. Entire villages were abandoned. It
is estimated that about 20.000 refugees have taken shelter in Albania,
over 20.000 in Montenegro, over 20.000 in Macedonia, whereas the others
have moved to safer areas.
The food and medicine
supply of the population has become impossible due to the road blocking
by Serbian forces.
In Deçan, which
was target of attacks by the end of May, the part inhabited by Albanians
was destroyed completely. There is no Albanian house in this part. Police,
paramilitary forces and civilians set fire to those, which were not damaged
during the shelling, and looted valuables. Such a situation is prevailing
almost in all regions affected by war. Taking into consideration the mass
destruction of the Albanian settlements, it is not difficult to realize
the aim of the Serbian regime, which is nothing else than ethnic cleansing.
Different parts of Kosova
are still under iron besiegement and are shelled every day. Serbian snipers
are very dangerous. CDHRF fears that a humanitarian disaster threatens
the very same regions.
Serbian Run District
Courts in Peja, Prizren, Prishtina, Mitrovica and the one in Nish have
initiated investigative proceedings against many Albanians, including political,
humanitarian activists, etc., as it is the case of Zahrije Podrimçaku,
an activist of the Sub-CDHRF in Gllogoc, who are accused of being members
or collaborators of the KLA.
Regarding the lootings
in Kosova, the CDHRF has always found it difficult to gather sufficient
information. Due to this, the value of looted goods cannot be estimated
for the time being.
CDHRF considers hereby
that the very same data do not include all cases that happened in Kosova
during the April-June period.
According to incomplete data, during the very
same period:
- 3517 persons were subjected
to different kinds of ill-treatment;
- 214 persons were killed,
executed or massacred;
- 163 were wounded;
- 41 murder attempts;
- 198 persons were reported
missing or kidnapped;
- 581 persons were arbitrarily
arrested;
- 1212 persons were
beaten;
- 106 persons were summoned
for informative talks;
- 165 persons suffered
heavy injuries;
- 164 persons underwent
routine checking;
- 38 persons were sentenced
for petty-offences;
- 6 persons were penally
sentenced;
- 74 cases of investigative
proceedings initiation;
- 208 families were
raided;
- 426 houses were shelled,
burned or ruined;
- 135 persons were ill-treated
for weapons;
- 131 women were subjected
to ill-treatment;
- 59 children were subjected
to ill-treatment;
- 33 elderly were subjected
to ill-treatment;
- 10 journalists were
subjected to ill-treatment;
- 33 persons were searched
for by police;
- 81 persons were summoned
to the police stations;
- 129 educational, political,
humanitarian and religious activists
were subjected to ill-treatment;
- 10 cases of real estate
usurpation;
- 4 Albanian families
were evicted by force from their flats.
Prishtina, 13 May 1998 Information Service
senden