REPORT NO. 396
         ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION
         AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
           BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND
           OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
           6 AND 7  MARCH 1998

REPORT NO.396

ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
ON 6 AND 7 MARCH, 1998

     Serbian police and military forces are continuing their operations against the Albanian
population in the region of Drenica. According to some unconfirmed information, until 6.00
p.m. on 6 of March, 50 Albanians were massacred, among them women and children,
while over 5.000 persons flee from the villages of Drenica, mainly elderly people, women
and children. However, numbers are higher.
Number of wounded persons is very high and they are in a very deteriorated condition.
The lack of medicines and medical staff, whereas their transportation is almost impossible.
Despite the efforts to get through, none of civilian Albanians and medical staff could not
manage in doing so.
     The attack of Serbian armed forces, which was qualified by the regime as forces of the
Serbian Interior Affairs, towards the villages of Drenica continues with the same intensity
covering other territories on 6 March 1998. After Prekazi i Ulët, where quarters Jasharaj
and Lushtaj were completely destroyed, Llausha village was target of the attack.
     Information from Skënderaj and escapees, who managed to break through the iron
surrounding, are dramatic. Apart from Prekazi i Ulët, such shots were heard in Açareva,
Vojnik, Kopiliq, Turiçevc, Runik, Broja, Rezalla, Çikatova, Polac, Marina and Rakinica.
CDHRF sources inform that the house of Mursel Gashi in Kopiliq was completely
destroyed. Witnesses claim that armoured vehicles were seen destroying to the ground
ruins of the houses of Jasharaj and Lushtaku families. This is the way, the killers are
making efforts to hide their crimes as they did in Bosnia. We fear that the family of Shaban
Jashari, who did not leave the house, has burnt to ashes.
Four tractors of children and old people left toward Mitrovica and Vushtrri yesterday, but
still we do not know anything on their fate. It is believed they have been captured by police
and army.
Uncountable caravans of people have been sheltered in the villages of Mitrovica, Vushtrri,
Fushë-Kosova, Obiliq and Lipjan.
     Only uniformed people and police vehicles have been circulating in the streets of
Skënderaj. Albanian population have locked themselves in their houses expecting the
worst to happen. Apart from the concentrated forces during the previous days, other
forces from Mitrovica and Komoran left towards Skënderaj.
Police and army movement has been noticed in other parts of Kosova. A bus of soldiers
from Suhareka left towards Prishtina at 12.00 p.m. Planes have been flying low over
Drenica and other parts of Kosova.
Threatening snipers have been set up on the roofs of high buildings in Prishtina, Podujeva
and other towns. CDHRF hardly get informations from the field as our field associates
could not get through to the battle field.

Prishtina, 6 March 1998, 1.00 a.m.

     According to our field associates, every 10-20 minutes were noticed movement of the
Serbian forces on the way Gllogoc-Skënderaj and vice-versa, while from Gllogoc towards
Skënderaj, police is carrying sand by tracks.
     Today, at 2.20 p.m., two cars with the sign of the Red Cross, which were lead by a
police car, entered Gllogoc from the direction of Komoran, and afterwards they returned
back toward Prishtina.
     Eye-witnesses, who were in Oshlan village near Skenderaj, declared that among 700
Albanians coming from the dangerous villages in Drenica, some are wounded.
     While we were in connection with our sub-council in Skenderaj, at 6.15 p.m., they were
forced to cut the phone line as being surrounded by police. Our associate managed to
inform for the fights in Prekazi i Ulet, while in LLausha the Serbian police and military
forces could not get through.
     At 6.30 p.m., our sub-council in Fushe-Kosova informs about the arrest of Ragip Gashi
and his son Mumin, his brother Sali Gashi and his son Xhevdet, on the pretext of
searching weapons. Until now, only Ragip was released after being brutally beaten, while
the others are still kept under arrest.

Prishtina, 6 March 1998

     INFORMATION FROM OTHER PARTS OF KOSOVA

     MITROVICA: On March 2, in Skenderaj and 52 villages of this district, water and
electricity were cut. Inhabitants are not able to get food: bread, salt, milk etc. The army and
the police have blocked every entrance road of the town. Snipers shoot time after time on
the streets and the home-yards.
In Klina e Poshtme village near Skenderaj, the police have been settled at the houses of
the following Albanians: Ismet Bekteshi, Feke Kadriu, Ismet Osmani and others. The
snipers positioned there, have shot Safete (20) and Hava Raif Bajrami (16) and Raif
Bajram Bajrami (41) who was shot with three bullets on the chest at the home yard.
Aziz Bajram Bajraktari (43) was shot 4 times also in the home-yard.
     According to the information taken from Mitrovica, on 6 March in Llausha, Miftar Smail
Rreci (47) died after being physically injured by the police.
In the way Mitrovica-Skenderaj, in the village Vojtesh, the police killed one Albanian from
Prekazi village named Ilaz (56), while in Lushta near Mitrovica, the police shot by
automatic-gun toward Ismet Halil Hasani (38), but they failed to attack him.
     Serbian armored police forces were settled in the villages Stanterg, Zveçan, Banjske,
Sibofc, Zhurthe, Vllahi, Broboniq, Lushta and in the other villages and along the way
Mitrovica-Skenderaj.
     People in Mitrovica and in the villages around are waiting to shelter the escapees from
Drenica region. Until 7 March, from the battle region of Drenica 360 families of 2.086
persons as women, children and elderly people have been sheltered in the district of
Mitrovica.
     VUSHTRRI: In the town and the villages around the situation remains very tense,
however population is prepared to accept the escapees from Drenica region.
In the village Oshlan, 700 escapees from the battle were sheltered, among them some are
wounded.
Two other families were sheltered in Dobërlluka village.
     GJAKOVA: Situation is very tensed. Through the streets, larger police forces and
armed Serbian civilians are seen.
In the quarter Piskota, in the ambulance of Humanitarian-Charitable Association "Mother
Theresa", the police arrested the physicians Arif Sylejmani and Kristë Deda.
In the depot of the Firm "Antigona", owned by Gjelush Rrustemi, the police confiscated
flour.
From the next side, the population here express its readiness to help the families of
Drenica region who are being massacred by the Serbian criminals.
     DEÇAN: Tense situation remains over the whole region of Deçan. On 6 March, around
11.00 a.m., above Deçan flew plane of the Serbian army. Every entrance-way of the town
is blocked by groups of policemen who are checking every circulation of persons and cars.
     SUHAREKA: On 6 March, around 12.00, a bus of armed soldiers passed through
Suhareka to the direction of Prishtina. Military planes are flying very low.
     ISTOG: On 7 March, about 8.00 a.m., Fadil Ferataj, chairman of the local LDK branch
in Istog, was taken at his home by the police.
Idriz Blakaj, chairman of the local LDK sub-branch in Vrella and seven other activists:
Rexhep Arifaj and Rifat Osmanaj from Kaliqan village, Milaim Hakaj from Orrobërda e
Vogël village, Ramadan Sadiku from Sudenica village, Malush Gashi from Prigoda,
Bajram Blakaj from Vrella and Demë Lipaj from Temali village are at the local police
station in Istog. Until the moment of reporting from Istog, they were not released, and also
other people are being taken by police cars from the village of Vrella.
     FUSHë-KOSOVA: From the region of Drenica 120 persons were sheltered in the
village Miradi e Ulët; 81 persons in Vragoli; in Bellaqevc i Madh are 60 persons, 80
persons in Grabovc i Epërm, 58 in Fushë-Kosova, and 20 persons in Pomozotin, and 5
families in Miradi e Epërme - most of them are women and children.
     Meanwhile, the police raided allegedly for weapons the home and the shop of Mehmet
Ibrahimi who was arrested and kept for 4 hours.
Izet Mihajlica (50) was arrested in his store.
     LIPJAN: In the villages Shala, Krojmir, Pretërshtica, 150 persons were sheltered from
the region of Drenica: Vukovc, Korotica, Komoran, Baica, Elshan, Tërstenik, Zabel and
also from Gllogoc. To the escapees were offered welcome and they are sheltered
comfortably.
     PRIZREN: Riza Bajraktari, "Dërvari" st. 239, was raided for weapons twice and taken
for "informative talks".

Prishtina, 7 March 1998, 12.00 a.m.          Information Service