REPORT
NO. 383
ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION
AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED BY
THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER
AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA FROM
7 DECEMBER UNTIL 14 DECEMBER 1997
-------- ALBANEWS: Albanian News and Information
Network --------
Archives: http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/albanews.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
REPORT NO. 383
ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN
KOSOVA
FROM 7 DECEMBER, UNTIL 14 DECEMBER 1997
7 DECEMBER:
PEJA: Policemen stopped the wedding guests
of Mustafë Lajqi, "Sanxhaku" str., and
took the national flag out of the car of Ali
Dreshaj (45) from Nabërxhan. They tore the flag
and Ali was beaten up. Mehmet Tahir Xhuraj from
the village of Radavc was stopped, his
identity was checked, he was threatened and physically
ill-treated by Serbian police. All
this happened to him as he did not participate
in the Serbian presidential elections. In a
snooker club in the village of Poçesta,
policeman Stanko Ristoviq threatened Isa Shala
(21). After a while, Stanko, accompanied with
two other policemen and a civilian, returned
to this club and demolished it. They tore photos
and severely ill-treated Isa Shala, Valdet
(20), Kapllan (23) and Sylë Bytyçi
(27). Due to injuries suffered they had to seek medical
care. Syla is in a grave medical state.
SKëNDERAJ: On arriving from Switzerland,
Sadik Ali Dobra (75) from the village of
Kryshec was arrested, detained in a room within
the bus station, his identity was checked,
he was insulted, physically ill-treated and looted
DM. 800. Police prevented Nazmi Malaj
from the village of çubrel from returning
to Kosova. He was physically ill-treated and sent
back to Switzerland.
MALISHEVA: On his return from Tetova, Haxhi
Bekolli from the village of Maralia was
looted DM. 500 by Macedonian custom officers
at the "Hani i Elezit" border cross.
8 DECEMBER:
PEJA: Mahir Muhaxheri (52), "Batusha" str.
69, Board member of the Financing
District Council and activist of the Independent
Trade Unions of Kosova was summoned
for informative talks to the police and was interrogated
on the activities of the IT Unions,
FDC and of the LDK in Peja.
KAMENICA: Police searched for Lulzim Sinan
Dërmaku (1967), political activist from
Shipashnica e Epërme.
9 DECEMBER:
MITROVICA: In the vicinity of the green
market, a policeman named Savic looted
huge quantities of goods from Albanian farmers.
These were sent to the workers' dining
hall of the Trepça mine. Goods estimated
to 960 dinars were looted from Mehdi Avdyl
Merovci (38) from the village of Dobërlluka
near Vushtrri.
LIPJAN: A police squad raided in search
for weapons the house of Skender Kastrati
from the village of Vërshec. Skender's brother
Besnik (1970), farmer and his sister
Haxhere (1957), housewife were physically
ill-treated in the presence of other family
members and were arrested.
MALISHEVA: At the cross-road between Kijeva,
Malisheva, Prishtina and Peja, as
well as in the outskirts of Rahovec, police checked
the identities of many Albanians and
provoked them. In the vicinity of the "Eximton"
motel in the village of Mleçan, police fired
bullets in the direction of an "Askona" car as
it did not stop as ordered by the police.
PRISHTINA: On 13 November and on 9 December,
police raided the flat of Ilir
Bajqinovci, "Bregu i Diellit" quarter, I/II 10.
Police searched for Avni Bajqinovci (1963) who
is currently living in Germany.
10 DECEMBER:
VUSHTRRI: On 9 December, three policemen
raided the house of Nexhat Beqiri from
the village of Balinca and searched for his brother
Xhevat, currently living abroad. After the
raid, the police went to the house of Sadri Rama
and provoked him. Sadri was ordered to
report to the police station the next day. When
Sadri refused to report, he was physically ill-
treated and handcuffed. At that moment, some
armed Albanians interfered and threatened
the policemen to release him or otherwise they
would be liquidated. Sadri was released
and the policemen left. The previous night, the
police searched many cars in the outskirts
of Vushtrria and ill-treated several citizens.
Police arrested Sadri's brother Xhafer, while
working at the "Betonjerka" enterprise in Mitrovica.
Xhafer was ordered to tell his brother to
report to the police station. A police squad
went to the house of Mursel Miftari from the
village of Beçuk. His son Xhevdet was
left a summon to be drafted for the army.
GJILAN: Ramadan Leka (1952), jurist, LDK
activist, living at "Ramiz Sadiku" VII/1,
was summoned for "informative talks" to the state
security center and was interrogated
about his activity in the LDK and about the Reconciliation
Council in Gjilan.
GLLOGOC: Five armed serbs stopped the bus
travelling from Belgrade to Prishtina
and looted 160 DM and a watch from Raif Krasniqi
(1957) from the village of Gllanasella.
MITROVICA: The Serbian compulsory authorities
of defense in Mitrovica left
summons for many Albanian youngsters for recruitment
in the Serb Army, among whom
Valton Abedin Halimi (16), "Ura e Gjakut" quarter
and Burim Hajriz Istrefi (17), "Ibri"
quarter.
PRISHTINA: Nearby the police station in
"Mahalla e Muhaxherëve" quarter, two
armed Serb civilians stopped Marjan Gjokaj, Dukagjin
Nikaj and Artan Nimani, all students
with the Economical Faculty of Prishtina. Marjan
was severely ill-treated by them on the
pretext that they were looking for "terrorists".
All of them were ordered to report to the
police station in Gjakova.
11 DECEMBER:
PEJA: In the vicinity of Klina, 6 policemen
severely ill-treated Ibër M. Kastrati (1951),
farmer from the village of Dobërdol. He
was ill-treated in the presence of other family
members and suffered many body injuries. Policemen
in Vitomirica, took Rifat B. Kelmendi
(1977) out of the bus. As he did not have his
ID, he was physically ill-treated in the police
station in Vitomirica and in the security center
in Peja. Haxhi Ibërdemaj, chairman of the
LDK sub-branch and Ali M. Lajçi (45),
secretary of the "Ali Kelmendi" primary school in the
village of Nabërgjan, were stopped by the
police and sent to the police station in Peja. For
two hours they were interrogated on their political
activity, elections within the LDK as well
as the work of the school in Nabërgjan.
Ismet A. Kastrati (43) from the village of Dobëdol
was taken for weapons to the police station in
Peja. Police in Peja intervened in many
private owned shops. They checked the identities,
insulted, provoked and ill-treated those
present.
PRISHTINA: Four armed policemen went to
the flat of Agim Ajeti, student, "Lakrishte"
quarter, "Lenin" str. 11/43 and searched for
him due to the organization of demonstrations
and threatened his mother. In the vicinity of
Dimitrovgrad, at the cross-border with
Bulgaria, the delegation of Islamic Community
of Kosova lead by doc. dr. Rexhep Boja,
chairman of IC and dean of the Islamic Faculty
in Prishtina, on his way home from
Istambul. Mr. Boja and Ahmet Rama, professor
at "Alaudin" Islamic Secondary School in
Prishtina, were taken for interrogation by the
Security inspectors about the activity of IC, as
well as the "terrorists" in Kosova.
GJILAN: Shabi Azemi (1958) from Llofca, teacher
and LDK activist, was summoned for
informative talks regarding weapons to the security
center in Gjilan. Police inspector
Dragan Peroviq, and policemen Ramadan Sermaxhaj
and Sërgjan subjected him to
physical ill-treatment and interrogation regarding
his activity as well as that of the LDK.
Emin Ramadani (1949), teacher and LDK activist,
"Memin Beqiri" str. 12/22, was
summoned to the police, interrogated on the elections
within the LDK as well as financial
issues. Three policemen from Zhegra searched
for Isa Dragobuzhda (1967) from the
village of Veleknica. Since 2 December, Isa is
in the Gjilan prison.
ISTOG: Police raided the market and looted a
considerable amount of goods from
Albanian merchants. Police checked the identity
of passers-by.
12 DECEMBER:
GLLOGOC: On 11 December, Hysni R. Halimi (1963)
from Shtutica, LDK activist, was
arrested. On 1 December, he was summoned for
informative talks, provoked and
threatened.
13 DECEMBER:
PRISHTINA: Xhevat Syla, editor of Kosova Publishing
House and Teaching Means, was
taken for informative talks by two police inspectors
of the state security. He was
interrogated on the work of this institution
and on other issues regarding the education in
Albanian.
DELAYED INFORMATION:
GLLOGOC: On 3 November, Gëzim Morina (1977)
from the village of Arllat, was stopped
by two policemen in Kelebi (Vojvodina). On tying
his hands and looting DM 100 from him,
they took him to Novi Sad by train. As soon as
they arrived there, policemen severely ill-
treated him and he suffered severe injuries.
PRIZREN: On 27 November, Sheremet Azem Kryeziu
from Dushanova, "Ganimete
Tërbeshi" str.50, was taken again to the
police station and interrogated on the
whereabouts of his brother Ismet, who is currently
living in Tirana.
MITROVICA: On 27 November, two policemen and
a security inspector stopped Fehmi
Fahredin Merovci (37), "Ibri" quarter, physically
ill-treated him in the street and at the police
station. They also looted 40 packs of cigarettes
estimated to DM 100, 930 dinars and DM
20. On 28 November, two policemen searched for
weapons at the house of Abaz Hamit
Hamiti (80), pensioner, in Kutllovc. The weapon
had been left to Abaz by his brother
Bislim, who died in 1945, but Abaz handed it
over 20 years ago. Policemen were
interested in the whereabouts of Abaz's sons,
Bislim (46) and Mustafa (37).
SKëNDERAJ: On 5 December, according to the
statement of the family members, Besim
Rama from Prekaz i Epërm, who is serving
his prison sentence of 20 years in Lipjan, has
been ill-treated several times, especially after
the recent events in the district of Skënderaj.
Marks of ill-treatment and blood stains were
noticed on his body. Besim has been
subjected to interrogation about Gani Thaçi
from Broja, who is in pre-trial detention in
Mitrovica. The representatives of international
organizations on human rights, who visited
the prison of Lipjan and others in Kosova, were
not allowed to contact Besim.
ISTOG: On 5 December, a police squad of Gurrakoc
searched for weapons at the house
of Ymer Selman Shatri from Tomoc and took him
to the police station in Gurrakoc. He was
interrogated on the work of Humanitarian ë
Charitable Association "Mother Theresa" and
the elections within the LDK branch in Istog.
Ymer's brother Skënder and Muharrem
Lubeniqi were ordered to report for weapons to
the police station. Eshref Sh. Halitaj was
summoned for "informative talks".
FUSHë-KOSOVA: On 5 December, a policeman
named Millan from the village of Orllan
near Podujeva, working in Fushë-Kosova,
went into the flat of Shefqet Gërxhaliu in Bresje.
The flat was delivered to Shefqet by the Shock-absorbers
Factory, where he worked until
he was made redundant.
KAMENICA: On 2 December, Nazmi Krasniqi (1958),
a taxi driver, was summoned to the
police station for the weapon that a passenger
had allegedly forgotten in his car.
SHTIME: On 19 November, Ali Emin Qeriqi (77),
a farmer, was arrested and subjected to
physical ill-treatment. Due to the injuries suffered,
he presented the medical report. The
following persons were arrested for weapons:
Mufail Rexhaj (1956) from Petrova on 5
November; Ramush Rexhaj (1961), jurist from Petrova
on 17 November; Avdullah Qorolli
(1937), pensioner from Rashina. On 7 November,
police raided the house of Ramadan
Elshani and confiscated different goods estimated
to DM 2000. Ramadan was physically
ill-treated. On 19 November, police stopped the
bus and physically ill-treated a group of
pupils on the pretext that they did not have
their ID's. Among the ill-treated ones was
Bekim Halili (1979), pupil of "Naim Frashëri"
Secondary School in Shtime, who gave a
statement about that. On 3, 7, 11, 12 and 13
November and 4, 5 and 6 December, the
following persons were taken for "informative
talks": Izjadin Beqa; Mufail Salihu (1963), an
agronomist from Mollopola; Abdyl Abdyli (1952);
Behxhet Fazliu (6 times); Bedri Hoxha
(1964), carpenter from Gllavica; Besim Gërguri
(1970), painter (4 times).
Prishtina, 14 December 1997
Information Service
____________________________________________________________________
ALBANEWS Site of the Day: "The Frosina Foundation"
http://www.frosina.org/
____________________________________________________________________
ALBANEWS is not affiliated with the Albanian
Government, the Kosova Government, any
association or organization, nor any information
or news agency. Reports, articles and news items from various sources are
distributed via ALBANEWS for INFORMATIVE purposes only.
Opinions expressed/published on ALBANEWS do NOT
necessarily reflect the views of the
owner and the co-owners and/or moderators, nor
any of their host institutions. ALBANEWS does NOT guarantee the accuracy
of the reports, articles and news items distributed via the list.
____________________________________________________________________
ALBANEWS listowner, co-owners and/or moderators
can be contacted at:
ALBANEWS-request@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu
senden