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REPORT ON THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL
FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA DURING OCTOBER 1997

     The terror mounted with the students' peaceful protests for the unconditional release of
school and university facilities. During the peaceful march in "Velania" quarter in
Prishtina, large police forces intervened and physically ill-treated many students, professors
and supporters. Victim of this free reign violation was prof.dr. Pajazit Nushi, chairman of
CDHRF.
     On 1 October, peaceful protests were also held in Mitrovica, Peja, Ferizaj, Prizren,
Gjilan and Gjakova. During these protests, large police forces exerted brutal violence on
the protesters. The tear-gas was also used. A number of protesters was arrested and taken
for "informative talks". Physical ill-treatments took place in other towns of Kosova, as well.
537 cases have been reported to the CDHRF so far. CDHRF has available about 1000
photographs of the ill-treated  persons and scenes during the police intervention. The files
of the gravest cases are completed by medical reports. As regard this, CDHRF has
published a brochure in Albanian and English.

     There were two victims recorded during October in Kosova perpetrated by the serbian
police.

     1) On 15 October, after midnight, in the vicinity of the police station in the village of
Kliçina near Peja, Serbian police killed Adrian Krasniqi (1972) from the village of Vranoc
near Peja, charged as being a "member of Kosova Liberation Army". The late was one of
the 21 accused, who was to be tried (in absentia) on 27 October 1997. According to the
statement given by çagjenoviq, the investigating judge at the District Serbian Run Court in
Peja, Adrian had been known for "terrorist activity", while police stated that Adrian was
killed after an attack made on the police station.

     2) Januz Zeneli (55) from the village of Ballaban near Prishtina, father of seven, former
technical worker at the primary school, died at the hospital of Central Prison in Belgrade on
16 October. The late was imprisoned with his cousin Hasan Zeneli on 30 April 1997, and
both of them were to face charges on 27 October. During the investigation, Januz was
subjected to severe physical ill-treatment in order to give self-incriminating confess and
was taken to hospital in a very deteriorated condition.

     The violence and terror of Serbian police included the Dukagjini plain, especially the
villages in the district of Gjakova, Peja and Deçan. Police squads were accompanied by
armoured cars and helicopters. On the pretext of searching for "terrorists", police raided
many houses and ill-treated many inhabitants of the above mentioned area. Not even
children or women were spared from police violence. The Council has available evidence
on the ill- treatment accompanied by demolition, insults on a national and moral basis as
well as threats.

     On 14 October, a police squad of over 130 policemen from Peja blocked the villages of
Bardhaniq and Zhabel near Gjakova. In the village of Bardhaniq police raided 22 houses
and demolished all furniture, all male members of families were beaten up, while women
and children suffered traumas. Men were handcuffed in pairs of two, ordered to lay on the
ground and were beaten in the presence of other family members. 8 of them suffered severe
body injuries. Many were taken by the police and sent to local police stations in Deçan and
Peja.
     In the village of Zhabel, 33 houses were raided and demolished. Men, women, children
and elderly were physically ill- treated. 56 persons suffered severe injuries, whereas 18
suffered minor ones. Terrible scenes were seen. Galan Brahimaj, a householder, was
threatened with decapitation in the presence of other family members. Many villagers were
thrown in the brook and threatened with liquidation. Police torture was accompanied by
insults and questions "where are your weapons?", "who attacked the police station in
çallapek?", "where have you hidden the terrorists?", "why you got so many children?", etc.

     On 16 October, on the pretext that the police station in Kliçina was attacked, police
raided many Albanian families, ill- treated and arrested many villagers of Zahaq, Llabjan,
Gllaviçicë, Leshan and Kliçina.

     On 17 October, at 5 a.m., police started raiding Albanian families in the villages of
Rastavica, Babaj i Lloçit and Gramaqel in the district of Deçan. The raidings were
accompanied by ill- treatments and arrests. In the village of Kliçina near Klina, Ahmet Deli
Kelmendi from Llabjan suffered severe injuries. Due to injuries suffered, he had to be
hospitalized in Peja.

     On 27 October, the legal proceedings against 19 Albanians charged for "terrorism"
began at the Serbian Run District Court in Prishtina. As members of Kosova Liberation
Army the following were indicted: Nait Hasani, Agron Tolaj, Arif Vokshi, Hasan Zeneli,
Alban Neziri, Agim Makolli, Asllan Selimi, Eqrem Kastrati, Isak Shabani, Bislim Zogaj,
Ilir Gashi, Ali Gjyliqi, Demir Limaj, Agim Hulaj, Selim Lokaj, Hajdin Rama, Nezir Zogaj,
Qerim Kelmendi and Hamzë Pangjaj (the last two are tried in absentia). Indictement
includes the names of Adrian Krasniqi, killed by Serbian police on 16 October in the
village of Kliçina near Peja, and Januz Zeneli, who died due to the police torture in the
Central Hospital in Belgrade. Due to the lawyers' objections, the legal proceeding was
postponed for 3rd November.

     According to the information available in the CDHRF, 1057 individual cases of physical
ill-treatment were reported during October 1997. Comparing with the very same period of
last year, when 465 individuals were ill-treated, we come to a conclusion that the
repression has mounted. 748 persons were physically tortured, among whom 339 suffered
severe injuries. In the very same period, 100 women, 16 children and 24 elderly underwent
police brutality.
 

During this very same period:

- 1 person was killed;
- 1 person died due to the police torture;
- 9 persons were sentenced for criminal charges and petty-offences;
- 748 cases of physical torture;
- 143 persons were arbitrarily arrested;
- 151 persons underwent routine checking;
- 53 persons were taken for "informative talks";
- 61 persons were summoned to the police station;
- 3 passports were seized;
- 95 Albanian families were raided;
- 53 persons were ill-treated for weapons;
- 49 political, 9 CDHRF activists and 4 sports activists were subjected to ill-treatment;
- 75 educational activists were subjected to different kinds of ill-treatment;
- 5 cases of police interference in educational institutions;
- 100 women, 16 children and 24 elderly were ill-treated;
- 7 journalists were subjected to different kinds of ill-treatment;
- 18 cases of looting;
- 2 Albanian families were evicted from their flats and serbian families moved in instead;
- 1 case of dissapearance;
- 59 cases of threats and 33 cases of police insults on a national and moral basis;
- 1 Albanian was summoned to be drafted in the Yugoslav army;
- 1 case of hampering of the cultural activity.

The samples are more illustrative:

     SKëNDERAJ: On 17 October, about 50 policemen, accompanied by two armoured cars
and a helicopter, surrounded and raided the house of Haxhi Thaçi in Broja. Police had
taken Gani Thaçi along with them. Gani had been arrested on 30 September, and his
whereabouts were unknown up to now. Police in search for weapons forced Gani to plow in
the vicinity of his house. In the meantime, police arrested Nimon Thaçi (45), an invalid.
Haxhi was left an order to report to the police station in Skënderaj.

     PEJA: On 9, 10, 20, 21 and 22 October, Hajdar Mekaj, journalist of the "Bujku" daily
and chairman of the branch of the Forum of Albanian Intellectuals in Peja, was summoned
for "informative talks" regarding his work, the activity of the FAI, the protest walks as well
as the protest of 1 October.

     MITROVICA: On 9 October, 7 policemen raided the house of Hamdi Hajzer Tahiri
(24), living in "Bair" quarter, and looted household goods estimated to DM 1500. His
mother Xhemile (65) was physically ill-treated. On 22 October, in the vicinity of "Aziz
Sylejmani" Primary School, 4 Serbian teenagers severely ill-treated Skofjar Hysni Syla (7)
without any reason. He was punched and kicked on his stomach and genital organs until he
fainted.

     PRIZREN: On 20 October, Refik çollaku (1972) from the village of Zym, student of
"Xhevdet Doda" Pedagogical High School in Prizren, was summoned for "informative
talks" regarding weapons. He was interrogated about the protest walks and severely ill-
treated.

Prishtina, 10 November 1997                  Information Service

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