REPORT NO. 387
         ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION
         AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
           BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND
           OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
           FROM  1 JANUARY
           UNTIL  11 JANUARY 1998

REPORT NO. 387

ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
FROM 1 JANUARY, UNTIL 11 JANUARY 1998
 

3 JANUARY:

     PRISHTINA: Police stopped, checked the identity of, physically and psychologically ill-
treated Ragip Gashi (1968) from Busia. They took DM 50 from him and ordered him to
report to the police station the next day.

4 JANUARY:

     PRISHTINA: Two policemen stopped and checked Faik Gërbeshi (36), a teacher. As
they failed to find any foreign currency, the policemen physically ill-treated him until he
fainted.

5 JANUARY:

     GJAKOVA: At about 11 p.m., in Shishman near Boka, 4 armed persons attempted to
raid the house of Shaban Mehmeti. As the family was duly alarmed, they withdrew
shooting with fire weapons and causing damage. It is believed that the unidentified
persons crossed the border between Kosova and Albania without being hindered from the
border guards. Serbian police, who are chasing and terrorizing the natives for "possessing
weapons without permits", are not taking any measures to protect the natives from such
organized gangs.
     PRISHTINA: At about 11 a.m., Radomir Dakoviq shot dead Ibrahim Xhemajl Dragusha
(44) from Prugovc in his own shop in "Dardania" quarter. The reason for this murder was
the dispute about the purchase of a car.
     MITROVICA: Some policemen raided and plundered goods from the private shops of
Albanians and passers-by. So, they looted DM 100 from Selajdin Sinan Kaçaniku (47),
"Bair" quarter. In the vicinity of the military headquarters, more than 10 policemen
accompanied by 6 military policemen, stopped and checked the identities of the passers-
by, as well as arrested 3 persons. Policemen took 300 dinars from Kenan Rama (12) from
Stantërg. Police searched for Albert Beqiri (21), a student of the Faculty of Economics in
Prishtina.
     PRISHTINA: Musa Hajrullahu (1953), a mining technician, was taken to the prison of
Lipjan to serve his sentence of 1 month imprisonment for being in possession of weapon
without permit.

6 JANUARY:

     MITROVICA: In the vicinity of the bus station, two policemen stopped and checked
Sylejman Hamit Istrefi (39), "Ura e Gjakut" quarter. In the vicinity of the military barracks in
Mitrovica, three policemen stopped, checked the identity of, raided and provoked Mensur
Ahmet Beqiri (22), "Bair" quarter.
     VUSHTRRI: Halim Morina (1947), "Partizani" st.24, a bill-collector of the District
Financial Council and an LDK activist, was summoned again to the Serbian Run District
Court in Vushtrri.

7 JANUARY:

     MITROVICA: In Shupkovc, in the vicinity of the barracks where the Serbian refugees
are situated, a Serbian citizen, while passing by in his vehicle, endangered the lives of
brothers Xheladin (35), a teacher at "Frang Bardhi" Gymnasium, and Izet Kadri Istrefi (29),
an actor of "Sandër Prosi" Theater, "Ura e Gjakut" quarter. As they criticized the driver, the
latter called two policemen, who took the brothers, physically ill-treated them and took
them to the police station in Mitrovica. There, they were subjected to physical ill-treatment
and were released in the evening with the threats that they would be liquidated.
     FUSHë-KOSOVA: Police searched for Idriz Sllamniku (1965) from Vragolia, who has
been living in Germany for 4 years.

8 JANUARY:

     GLLOGOC: In the vicinity of the department store, Serbian inspectors stopped some
Albanian citizens and took them to the police station. They took DM 65 from Rexhep Ibriqi
(1969) from Komoran, DM 30 from Mehdi Gashi from Nekoc, etc. Rexhep was subjected
to interrogation by two inspectors, who insulted him on a national and moral basis.
     PODUJEVA: Selim Selimi (1936) from Braina stated that in his absence, some Serbian
civilians kidnapped his daughter Shemsije (20) and took her to unknown direction. A
citizen of Braina called Momir had told Selim that one of the kidnappers was Dragan
Tomanoviq from Braina.

9 JANUARY:

     HANI I ELEZIT: Two plainclothed policemen arrested and physically ill-treated Rexhep
Loku. The very same policemen searched weapons at the house of Fadil H. Dernjani nga
Paldenica and ordered him to report to the police station the next day.

11 JANUARY:

     BELGRADE: The daily "Dnevni Telegraf" writes that two nights ago at 10 p.m., in the
village of Stepenica near Klina, Gjorgje Beliq (57), member of reserve police, was killed.
According to Veselin ¦agjenoviq, investigation judge in Peja, Gjorgje Beliq was killed by
members of "Kosova Liberation Army".

DELAYED INFORMATION:

     KLINA: On 27 November 1997, Martin Skeli, a student from Krusheva e Vogël, was
repatriated from Germany. Eversince, he was taken for "informative talks" by Security
inspectors and was ordered to report again on 19 January 1998. He was subjected to ill-
treatment, provocation and threats, as well as interrogation about the political parties,
"Kosova Liberation army", etc.
On 23 December, traffic policemen fined Frrok P. Lekaj (1973), a driver from Cerrovik, with
DM 20, as he and his four cousins did not speak any Serbian.
On 23 and 30 December, the main session of Zef Marku (1951), a worker at the primary
school in Jagoda near Klina, against the District Fund for Education in Klina due to unpaid
salaries since 1991, was delayed.
     SHTIME: On 15 December, Bajram Qorolli (1940) from Rashinca, temporarily
employed abroad, was left a summon to report to the police station on 17 December. A
security inspector named Sërbolub interrogated him on his visits to Albania, Holland,
Belgium and Germany. Later on, he was released and told that he would be summoned
again.
     ZHUR: On 18 December, some policemen from Prizren harassed the family of
Hajrullah Hoxha (1959), an agronomist from Zhur, under the pretext of searching for
tobacco smugglers.
     KAMENICA: On 26 December, police in Bujanoc stopped and checked the identities of
Nuri Lipovica from Poliçka near Kamenica and that of a relative of his. As police found a
bill of the District Financial Council belonging to Nuri, they ill-treated him physically, broke
him two teeth and accused him of being a member of KLA. He was taken to the police
station in Bujanoc, where he was kept until the next day.
     MITROVICA: On 29 and 30 December, many Albanian youngsters received summons
for drafting. Among them were Mentor Nuredin Sahiti (16), Mirsad Kadri Sahiti (16),
Mensur Islam Kërleshi (16), Bahri Aziz Hyseni (16), Abedin Mursel Hasani (16), and Kadri
Ismet Barku (16) - all of them from Vaganica and Njazi Hakif Peci (16) from Zhabar i
Poshtëm.
     PRISHTINA: On 30 December, during the peaceful protests in "Nëna Terezë" city
promenade and other parts of the city, the following were ill-treated: Mustafë Blakaj (1937),
a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, "Lakrishta" quarter S1/20, suffered body injuries;
Hulusi Jusufi (1944) from Matiçan near Prishtina, an economist in "Rilindja" Enterprise,
suffered injuries on his head and left eye; Shefqet M. Rexha from Koretin near Kamenica;
Ramadan Neziri (1951), a teacher; Syzanë Qeriqi (1978) and Ganimete Qeriqi (1970),
students, as well as Sylejman Qeriqi (1949) and Mehdi Qeriqi (1936), farmers, all four from
the village of Krojmir near Lipjan, suffered body injuries; Mirvete Islami (1974), a student
from Gjilan, "7 Korriku" st.; Isuf Bucolli (1976), a student from Gjilan; Avdush Havolli
(1942), unemployed welder, "Bregu i Diellit" quarter, suffered injuries on his head, leg and
arm; Hasan Xhakolli, a student from Fushë Kosova, as well as three other students were
taken by the police and forced in a police van. Hasan was taken to the basement of the
police station and was severely ill-treated by 8 policemen until he fainted. He was
interrogated regarding his participation in the protests and was tortured. Later on, he was
released in a deteriorated health condition. He suffered severe injuries.
On 31 December, 2 Serbian civilians in search of Abdurrahman Halili raided the house of
his father, Halim Gashi (1943), a worker, living in "Aca Mërdakoviq" st. 75.

Prishtina, 11 January 1998                   Information Service