REPORT NO. 397
         ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION
         AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
           BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND
           OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
           7 AND 8  MARCH 1998

REPORT NO. 397

ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
ON 7 AND 8 MARCH 1998

 DRENICA REGION:

     SKëNDERAJ: Barbaric attack of police and military units with heavy weaponry on the
villages of Drenica continued on 7 March from 6.45 a.m. The main targets were villages
Llausha, Prekazi i Poshtëm, Vojnik, etc. Sporadic shots were heard in Skënderaj, too.
Albanian population, mainly women, children and old people, have been leaving their
homes in order to find shelter in the villages of neighbouring districts: Mitrovica, Vushtrri,
Lipjan, Fushë- Kosova, Prishtina.
     In Skënderaj and other settlements of Drenica, the situation is very tense. Those
remained in the houses do not dare to go out due to the snipers' attack. According to
some unconfirmed information, a gypsy woman and two children were killed. People
cannot break through the iron surrounding, so they are forced to move illegally in order to
get the needed supplies.
     Meanwhile, military and police forces move towards Skënderaj and backwards, as well
as villages Prekaz, Likoshan, Llausha, etc. The list of killed and massacred persons is not
complete yet. According to the unconfirmed information from Skënderaj, apart from those
reported, 57 Albanians were killed, among whom 25 members of Jashari family, and
others of Gashi and Lushtaku families. Children of the age 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 16, women,
old people of the age 74 were killed and massacred. There are many wounded,
disappeared, arrested persons, but neither their number nor their names are still unknown
due to the difficult communication. We have information on only four wounded persons:
Adem Jashari's son, Shaban Jashari's wife, Hamëz Jashari's son and wife; 3 disappeared
children of brothers Halit, Ymer and Zenë Jashari (of age 6, 10 and 15), who were taken to
the Ammunition Plant in Skënderaj. Their whereabouts are unknown. We have information
that the houses of Shaban, Hamit, Bilall and Qerim Jashari, Xhemë and Mursel Kodra and
Beqir Lushtaku are destroyed completely. The following persons were  taken and kept at
the Ammunition Plant in Skënderaj: Elfije (76), Salë (44), Feride (40) Jashari; Fidaie Bahtir
Jashari (23); Fatmire (9), Valmire (7), Besarta (4), Gentiana, Elfije (2), Miftar (7) and
Xhemile (12) Bilall Jashari; Valbon (8), Alban (8), Ganimete (21) and Violetë (17) Sefer
Jashari and Besartë Hamëz Jashari (10). The very same persons were left in the
downtown Skënderaj from where they took shelter in Skënderaj.
     In Prekaz i Poshtëm, from Jasharaj quarter the following persons were arrested: Naser
(Aziz) Jashari (36), a geography professor; Bekim (Bahtir) Jashari (26) with his
grandmother, two aunts and 14 children of this family, as well as Maliq (Ragip) Jashari (93)
with his daughter-in-law and 3 children. At the house of Maliq Jashari, Hamide Ajet Jashari
(70) died due to the shock suffered during the police arrest. The arrested ones were taken
blindfolded to the Ammunition Plant. Maliq and 3 children were kept at the police station in
Mitrovica. They were subjected to torture and then released. 18 members of Jasharaj
family, among whom a 2-months baby and a 76-year-old man, were released.
     The evacuation of families from the Drenica region is going on. 370 families of 2086
members took shelter in Mitrovica and its quarters; 499 persons in the district of Fushë-
Kosova; 150 persons in the district of Lipjan; 700 persons, among whom wounded ones,
in the village of Oshlan near Vushtrri; 250 people in Hade; 230 ones in Shipitulla, etc.
     On 8 March, at about 1.20 p.m., police arrested Ilmi Nuredini from Klina e Poshtme, a
relative of Jashari family, and took him to the morgue of the hospital of Prishtina in order to
identify the victims.
     Today, on 8 March, the representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross in
Prishtina were allowed to enter Skënderaj, whereas Adem Meta, representative of the
Sub-CDHRF in Skënderaj was not allowed to talk to them more than five minutes.
Meanwhile, we received information that the body of Sadik Kaçkini, killed by Serbian police
in Llausha two days ago, is still lying on the ground.
     GLLOGOC: On 7 March, at about 9.10 a.m., 5 buses, 9 APCs and an armoured car of
police forces left towards Skënderaj.
Xhemë Binaku from Gllobari and Xhevat Bylykbashi from Tërstenik, who were arrested
yesterday, were released today.
     VUSHTRRI: Eyewitnesses, escapees from Prekaz i Poshtëm, claim that yesterday
from 5 until 11 a.m., police transported unknown items from the burnt house of Shaban
Jashari.
There are unevacuated women and children in quarter Kodra e Lushtakut.
The artillery was directed towards quarters Brahaj, Nezaj and Mehaj, where police
trenches were dig up.
At about 10.30 a.m., military and police forces entered the house of Hajzer Veliqi in Polac
and shot fire towards the house of Hysenaj family in Lushtaku quarter.
At about 12.40 p.m., police forces used tear-gas in the direction of the house of Hamit
Jashari and shot fire towards Llausha.
     After a long stay in a stream, protected by darkness, Qemajl (20), Ragip (35), Bilall (42)
and Bashkim Jashari from Jasharaj quarter in Prekaz i Poshtëm, managed to survive.
A number of inhabitants of Mikushnica, Lubovec and Galica have managed to find shelter
in the villages of Vushtrri.
     A number of foreign journalists have succeeded in getting through to the vicinity of
Prekaz i Poshtëm and visited the escapees that took shelter in the district of Vushtrri.
Dr. Alush Gashi, Rexhep Gjergji, Basri Musmurati and Lulzim Makolli (a driver), members
of the LDK, who left to visit the attacked villages in Drenica were arrested by the police at
the checkpoint in Vushtrri and released later on.
     MITROVICA: Last night, from 8.35 until 9.08 p.m., 8 jeeps, 1 lorry and an "Ascona" car
went towards Prishtina from the direction of Skënderaj.
Today, at about 7.30, 6 jeeps and 1 "Niva" with the registration of Kraleva and Kragujevc
left towards Skënderaj.
Policemen in Shipol directed their weaponry towards the passers-by and cursed their
"Albanian mothers".
Today, at about 9.14 a.m., 3 buses, 1 "landrover" and an ambulance car of policemen
came to Mitrovica from the direction of Skënderaj.
     PEJA: On 6 March, at about 7.30 p.m., at the hospital of Peja, police brought two
persons: a youngster from Mitrovica and Riza Osman Thaçi (1931) from Broja of
Skënderaj, wounded by fire weapon. He is guarded by policemen.
On 6 March in Peja, 42 women and children from the villages of Gllogoc and took shelter
in the local families.
     PRISHTINA: In the protests of 7 March, organized by health care workers against the
massacre of Serbian police in Drenica, the following persons were arrested: dr. Saudin
Maliqi, a physician, Valbon Krasniqi (26) from Makovc and Emrush Pireva (27) from
Kamenica - both undergraduate students of Medical Faculty.

INFORMATION FROM OTHER PARTS OF KOSOVA

     MITROVICA: On 8 March, at about 12.00 p.m., police with an armoured car and other
police cars prevented the Albanian women protests.
The teachers Luljeta Saraçi, Kadrije Shipoli, Fatime Prekazi and others were physically ill-
treated.
Three buses, with plates of Çaçak and Krushevc, two armoured cars, three lorries and
other police cars went in the direction of Skenderaj.
     Today at about 11.30 a.m., three policemen stopped in the street Mujë Halil Istrefi (43),
Lah Hetem Hetemi (46) and Qerim Jetullah Halili (43), all from "Kroi i Vitakut" quarter, who
were trying to collect aid for the families of Drenica region. All the money was confiscated
from them and they were afterwards physically ill-treated and sent to the police station.
Five armed Serb civilians and one policeman threatened Bilall Kadri Kutllovci (62) while
sitting in a tea-house nearby the bus station in Mitrovica.
     On March 7, police stopped in Ternavc village Hamdi Sejdi Veseli (46), living at
"Tavnik" quarter of Mitrovica. Hamdi was physically ill-treated. He was together with his
wife Hajrije (41), his daughter-in-law Arlinda (22) and his pregnant daughter Gjyle (19),
who fainted from fear.
     GJAKOVA: On March 8, at about 5.00 a.m. around 10 policemen raided for weapons
and demolished the house of Ndue Rexha in Shishman village. As they failed to find any
weapons, the police arrested Ndue's son Kastriot Rexha and sent him to the police station.
On March 7, at about 6.00 p.m. six plain-clothed policemen and 3 dressed ones raided the
house of Bajram Osmani, living at "Partizani" street and arrested his wife Ryve and his
cousin Mursel Osmani from Prizren.
     PRESHEVA: On March 5, at about 1.30 p.m. peaceful protests were held supporting
the innocent people in Drenica. While the protesters were peacefully walking in the main
street of the town, the Serbian police without any warning intervened and brutally beat up
the protesters. Among the ill-treated were also Riza Halimi and Naser Haziri, former-
deputies in the Parliament of Serbia, Tahir Dalipi and Behlul Nasufi, Dr. Skënder Destani
and many other civilians who were kept for "informative talks" at the police station until
about 8.00 p.m.
     PODUJEVA: On March 7, very late at night, enigmatic shootings were heard in
Velikareka village and in the territory of Serbia, near the border with Kosova.
     On March 8, about 30 policemen raided the house of Bajram Uka (47) in Obrança
village. As they failed to find any weapons, the police arrested Bajram and sent him to the
local police station of Podujeva, from where he was released after four hours with an order
to report again the next day.
     At midnight of March 5, armed Serbs were noted walking in Babimoc village and many
Serbian families, mainly women and children, were evacuated from Hade village.
On March 6, between 10.30 p.m. and 00.00 a Serb family fired with machine gun in
Raskova village in order to frighten the Albanian families living there.
     PRIZREN: On March 7, at about 2.00 p.m., tens of policemen and Serb civilians raided
the house of Mursel Osmani, living at "Ramiz Sadiku" quarter. As Mursel was not at home,
the police arrested their friend Vëllaznim. The pretext of the raid is not known, but the
police failed to find whatever they were looking for.
     ISTOG: On March 7, at about 7.00 a.m., a police squad blocked Pepaj quarter in
Lubizhda village and arrested Arben, Jakup, Jeton, Rexhep, Xhevdet, Islam, Ilaz, Sali,
Shukri and Blerim Pepaj. Motive: On March 5, the hay of Slobodan Radivojevic,
psychically ill person, was burnt.
Idriz Blakaj, Malush Gashi, Rifat Osmani, Demë Lipaj and Milaim Hakaj, all LDK activists in
Vrella village, were taken for "informative talks".
     PEJA: On March 6, Nezir D. Neziri (20) and Besim I. Kabashi (20), were beaten up by
the police in Tërstenik village of Peja without any reason.

DELAYED INFORMATION

     PODUJEVA: On March 3, huge police forces entered the yard of the "Meto Bajraktari"
primary school and caused a panic among the pupils and teachers.
In the demonstrations of March 2, the following persons were also ill-treated: Arif Uka
(1969) from Dumnica e Poshtme village, Nexhmi Emin Sejdiu from Zakuti, Agron Azem
Berisha and Naser Shaban Hasani from Podujeva, while Ekrem Rudari from Shajkovci
village was searched by the police for participating in these protests.
On March 5, Ahmet Plakolli (1969) from Letanci village was searched for weapons by the
police.
On March 5, great police forces blocked the roads of the town and raided the house of
Adem, Hakif and Sherif Potera, demolished the furniture and physically ill-treated Adem
and Mehmet Potera. The last one was arrested the next day.
On March 6, about 20 policemen with an armoured cars surrounded the house of Faik
Buqa (50) and searched weapons. About 50 policemen surrounded the house of Enver
Podvorica (40) in Dumosh village and searched weapons.
     PRISHTINA: In the demonstrations of March 2, the police also ill-treated Fisnik
Mullaademi (1980), pupil, Afrore Ymeri (1973) from Prishtina, Sami Bytyçi (1979) from
Gllogoci and Xhemail Fejzaj (1976) from Peja.
     VUSHTRRI: On March 3, police stopped and physically ill- treated in Smrekovnica
Abdyl, Abdullah and Halit Ahmeti as well as Vesel Sefedini.

Prishtina, March 8, 1998                Information Service