REPORT NO. 412
         ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION
         AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED
           BY THE SERBIAN POLICE AND
           OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
           FROM  MAY  14
           UNTIL  MAY  17, 1998

Report no. 412

ON THE WIDESPREAD REPRESSION AND HARASSMENT PERPETRATED BY
THE SERBIAN POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVA
FROM MAY 14 UNTIL MAY 17, 1998

During the last few days, 18 Albanians were killed in Kosova.
Rifat Hasan Çitaku (56) and his nephew, Muhamet Shaban Çitaku (27) were killed by the
Serbian police in the village of Çitak near Skënderaj.
The corpses of Xhafer Bekë Kukaj and Gëzim Miftar Pepshi were found in the forests of
Junik.
Ymer Kajdomçaj from Xërxa and Bajram Sejdi Himaj from Gexha were killed by the
Serbian police in the village of Ratkoc.
Jahir Brahim Shabani (34) from Bubla was killed in the village of Zajm, district of Klina.
Ramadan Halil Morina (35), Sefer Halil Morina (32), Brahim Demush Morina (45) and a
Serbian policeman were killed in Rigjeva, district of Klina.
Murat Tahir Berisha (70) died in the Prishtina hospital, of wounds inflicted during the
shelling of his house in the village of Leshan.
There is fear that the number of casualties in the villages of Zabërgja, Rigjeva and
Stapanica, attacked on May 17, can be much higher.
In the vicinity of Gradisha, Serbian police found the corpse of an unidentified person.
During clashes at the police check-point in Rakosh, an unidentified person was killed.
In our weekly report no. 409, we informed that Fatmir Ujup Gashi was killed in Montenegro
on the border with Albania. According to relatives of the deceased, the killed is Bahri Fazliu
from Llausha of Besiana, district of Podujeva. He was a member of the Albanian National
Movement and of the KLA.

The situation in Kosova continues to be very tense, especially in the Drenica region, the
Dukagjini plain, and to the border with Albania. Police re-enforcement are brought to these
regions. 6 buses and 2 jeeps full of Serbian policemen headed for Skënderaj. Killings,
woundings, ill-treatments, the burning and destruction of houses and the looting of families
continues. Women, children and the elderly fled from the villages on the front-line. They
were sheltered in nearby villages.
The supplying of the attacked villages with food and medicine has become very difficult.
Serbian authorities are preventing private firms from bringing food to the people in Kosova.
According to the Sub-CDHRF in Podujeva, many trucks loaded with food are prevented
from entering Kosova. They were stopped in the vicinity of the "Rudar" motel in Serbia, 10
km from the border with Kosova.
According to information from our field associates, the situation has not improved on the
threshold, during, nor after the Rugova-Milosheviq talks. After a short "break", on Sunday,
May 17, the clashes re-started.

MAY 14:

RAHOVEC: The situation in Rahovec continues to be very tense, especially after the
police and military attacks on the villages of Gradisha, Gexha, Malësia e Vogël and
Ratkoc.
Ymer Kajdomçaj from Xërxa and Bajram Sejdi Himaj from Gexha were killed in Ratkoc. 2
Albanians were wounded.
In Xërxa, Serbian police kidnapped Zeqir Krasniqi's 7 member family. There is no
information on their whereabouts.
An armored car is parading on the road from Xërxa to Rahovec. An APC is carrying the
wounded policemen. Armed Serbian civilians were seen travelling in a van.
Many houses in Xërxa were shelled and damaged. One house was completely destroyed.
2 gas stations of the "Fetoshi" private firm were damaged.
During the clashes many shops were demolished and looted by the Serbian police.
DEÇAN: There were large police movements through the center of the town and on the
road to Gjakova. The village of Baballoç was shelled. The abandoned Albanian houses in
the vicinity of the military base in "Podi i Gështenjave", were looted and demolished by
armed Serbian civilians. They turned on the faucets causing lots of damage.
SKëNDERAJ: Serbian police and military forces shelled the villages of Kopiliq i Poshtëm,
Buroja, Açareva, Vojnika, Turiqec and Llausha. The houses of Beqir and Feriz Idrizi, Islam
Ramadani, Shaban and Beqir Hoti, Azem Bajrami and Dan Hasani in Turiqec as well as
those of Sejdi, Hasan and Dibran Idrizi; Afrim, Alush, Rexhë and Haki Gashi in Kopiliq i
Poshtëm were damaged.
In the vicinity of the police station in Skënderaj, 2 policemen under the threat of weapons
forced Ismajl Shaqiri from Skënderaj to take them to the police check-point near Llausha.
GLLOGOC: In Korrotica e Epërme, police fired bullets and hit the houses of Misin,
Haradin, Hamdi, Gani, Isuf and Latë Balaj, Nezir Doshlaku and Zeqir Bekolli. The very
same policemen fired bullets towards children who were pasturing their cattle in Sankoc.
Avdi Bytyçi, a driver of the "Oti Market" private firm in Arllat and Zymber Bytyçi, were
beaten-up at the police check-point in Komoran. They were accused of carrying oil for the
KLA.
PEJA: Police opened automatic fire on the village of Kliçina.
In Leshan, they burnt Ramush Berisha's straw stack.
PRIZREN: Naser Hasani (1968), a farmer from Piran, living in the village of Randobrava,
was physically ill-treated in Krusha e Vogël. He suffered injuries.
In Prizren, police seized all technical documentation from Sabri Berisha from Leskovec
and Blerim Krasniqi from Hoça e Qytetit.
MITROVICA: In the vicinity of the bus station, Atdhe Osman Meholli (16), a pupil with the
"Arkitekt Sinani" Mechanical Engineering Secondary School, was stopped by a policeman
and was physically ill-treated.
OBILIQ: According to a statement given to the CDHRF by Milorad Spasiq from the village
of Sibovc, unidentified persons kidnapped his son, Zharko Spasiq (1963), a driver with the
"Kosova" GE in Bellaqevc. Zharko was stopped by unidentified persons in the village of
Grabovc and was ordered to follow them towards the village of Dobroshec. There is no
information on his whereabouts. According to the father, Zharko and his family never had
any conflict with their neighbors.
DRAGASH: Halim Shemsedini, chairman of the LDK branch in Dragash, was taken for
informative talks and was interrogated on the peaceful protests of May 9.
SHTIME: A police helicopter landed in the village of Ranc. Policemen surveyed the terrain.
VUSHTRRI: 2 helicopters landed in Taraxha. After midnight, loud detonations could be
heard from this place. A group of Serbian civilians opened fire towards passers-by.
GJILAN: 2 helicopters flew over the town and landed on the poultry farm. The farm was
turned into a military testing range.
Police went to the "Qenar Çeshme" quarter, in search of military deserters.

MAY 15:

GJAKOVA: Automatic fire and detonations can be heard from the villages of Morina,
Ponoshec and Smolica, on the border with Albania.
In Ponoshec, there is a bad stench coming from killed animals.
DEÇAN: The already tense situation is showing signs of deterioration.
The corpses of Gëzim Miftar Pepshi and Xhafer Bekë Kukaj were found in the forests in
the vicinity of Junik.
Since the start of the police and military operations, 21 Albanians, mainly youngsters, were
killed in this district.
Fresh forces accompanied with trucks, tanks and buses full of soldiers were brought and
stationed in the military bases in "Podi i Gështenjave" and Hulaj.
Serbian forces were stationed in the center of the town and in the vicinity of the "Lidhja e
Prizrenit" Primary School.
Serbian police went into the houses of Qazim Alaj and Skënder Kasumaj.
Astrit Mustafë Qorraj from Carrabreg i Epërm, an asylum-seeker repatriated from
Germany, was physically ill-treated at the police check-point in Strellc i Epërm. He
suffered many injuries.
Shani Selim Kuçi (42), Visar Kuçi (17) and Qëndrim Kuçi (15) from Deçan, were physically
ill-treated by the police. Shani was arrested.
RAHOVEC: Fresh police and military forces were brought to Rahovec, Gradisha and
Xërxa.
In the village of Gradisha, in the vicinity of gas station, a warehouse of building material
and 2 cars were destroyed.
A corpse was found in the vicinity of Gradisha.
Military forces stationed in the vicinity of "Ura e Fshejtë" are shelling Xërxa, Gexha,
Radosta and Ratkoc.
The women and children, who fled this region, were settled in the villages of the districts of
Gjakova and Rahovec.
In the vicinity of Gradisha, Ismet Hoti from Krusha e Madhe and 2 co-passengers of his,
were kidnapped by the police, kept in arrest for 10 hours and physically ill-treated.

SKëNDERAJ: The situation in the district of Skënderaj is very tense. There was shooting
from all the police check-points in the Drenica region. During the night, police opened
automatic fire in the center of Skënderaj. Policemen broke shop windows and left for the
Ammunition Factory.
A large number of policemen surrounded the villages of Padalishta and Çitak. They
opened fire on the villagers.
In the village of Çitak, Rifat Hasan Çitaku (56) and his nephew, Muhamet Shaban Çitaku
(27) were killed.
Police went into many houses. They were looted and demolished.
Police searched for Naser Beqir Çitaku. Not finding him, they detained his father, Beqir
Çitaku. The entire family was threatened to be killed. 2 vans and other valuable goods
were seized.
Police looted the houses of Zenel Sadik Loshi, Gani Shala, Haxhi Metë Zeqiri and Asllan
Qazim Loshi. A "Golf" was seized from the latter.
There is no information on the whereabouts of Imer Zeqir Hoti from the village of Polac. On
May 6, he was arrested in Mitrovica. He went there for medical treatment.
The very same night a policeman and Artim Sejdi Jashari from the village of Zhabar were
killed.
Kamber Hamza was physically ill-treated at the police check-point in Klina e Epërme. He
was threatened to leave Kosova.
GLLOGOC: Ahmet R. Buzhala (56) from Likoc, was severely ill-treated in the outskirts of
Gllogoc. Among the policemen was Xhafer Qorri, an Albanian in the service of the Serbs.
MITROVICA: On every 100 m of the road from Shipol to Klina e Epërme, groups of 8-10
policemen were stationed.
On April 25, Avni Feriz Shala (36) was wounded in his house yard in Buroja. He is
hospitalized in the Surgery Ward of the Mitrovica Hospital. His room is guarded by the
police and no visits are allowed. Albanian physicians are not allowed to communicate with
him in Albanian. Once he was not given food all day long.
In the village of Broboniq, 5 policemen kidnapped Hysen Kadri Doroci (60), took him to a
forest and interrogated him on the KLA for more than 2 hours. He was threatened.
Other policemen went into shops and ill-treated the following: Musa Beqir Vinarci (47),
Shaqir Hasan Bunjaku (45), Abedin Murtez Brahimi (30), Ilir Ali Brahimi (29), Blerim Ahmet
Brahimi (32) and Adem Bilall Kutllovci (23).
3 policemen beat-up Skënder Imer Asllani (42), living in "Ura e Gjakut" quarter, in the
building of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, where passports and ID's are issued.
In the vicinity of "Kroi i Broboniqit", Sadri Imer Asllani (65) from Kopriva was insulted on a
national basis.
100 m from there, 6 policemen provoked the family of Ajet Milazim Baliu (46) by throwing
stones on their house.
A group of policemen, travelling in a bus, provoked Albanian children by raising 3 fingers.
They chased: Esat Smajl Smajli (10), Alban Jakup Fazliu, Nazmi Sokol Fazliu (16) and
Besnik Smajl Ismajli (12).
Police opened fire and hit the house of Smajl Smajli (55).
PRISHTINA: Ismajl Hajredini (1934) from the village of Stanoc, a watchman in the "Metalo-
Tehna" enterprise, was attacked by a Serb refugee named Tihomir. He suffered severe
injuries on his eye.
In the vicinity of the students' restaurant, Rrahim Selmani (1965), living in "Kolovica e Re",
was beaten-up by 2 Serb civilians. Due to injuries suffered he had to seek for medical
help.
Police raided the house of Daut Hoxha (1956), a worker with the International Red Cross.
He was interrogated on his activities and about his field work.
Police in the "Kodra e Diellit" quarter, thoroughly checked Brahim Shala (61) from Barileva.
They took his pocket watch.
In the vicinity of the Technical Faculty, Ismail Beqiri (31) and Naim Pacolli (23) from
Prishtina were beaten-up by a group of 20 Serbian civilians.
An armored car and 3 APCs paraded through Prishtina. A soldier provoked passers-by by
pointing his machine gun towards them.
ISTOG: During the night, there was shooting at the police check-point in Rakosh. Large
police forces from Peja, Klina and Istog headed for Rakosh and Padalishta. The road
leading to these 2 villages was blocked. According to an eye-witness, there was a corpse
in the vicinity of the check-point in Rakosh.
Many families are fleeing the village of Kërrnina.
PRIZREN: In the outskirts of Prizren, Hamdi Murat Dakaj (1931), a pensioner from
Korisha, was brutally beaten-up by the police until he fainted. He was ill-treated under the
pretext that he had a turf on his head. Due to injuries suffered he had to seek for medical
help.
In the meantime, the other policemen took positions, insulting and threatening passers-by.
They pointed their guns towards the crowd of people and provoked them with the words
"why don't you try to help him".
Sniper fire was opened towards Qemal Morina (1960) from Prizren, living in "Mazllum
Këpuska" st. He was stopped by the police and brutally beaten at the check-point in Xërxa.
He was sent to the police station in Prizren and kept in arrest until 10 p.m.
According to a statement of his, in the police station he saw 13 people from the district of
Rahovec, who were being brutally ill-treated.
The investigative judge with the District Court in Prizren, Jugosllav Skënderi, began the
investigative proceeding against Naim Krasniqi (1953), living in "Brigada e IV sulmuese"
no. 14, for "subversive activity", and extended his pre-trial detention for 30 days.
Police raided the house of Alush Kryeziu from Pagarusha, living in "Rugova" st. A guest of
his was arrested.
KAÇANIK: After midnight, there was automatic fire between the villages of Gërlica e
Epërme and Gabrica. Police searched the terrain.
SUHAREKA: Alush Kryeziu from Pagarusha was physically ill-treated at the police check-
point in Duhla.

MAY 16:

KLINA: Jahir Brahim Shabani (34) from the village of Bubla was killed in the village of
Zajm. At about 10.45 p.m., automatic fire was heard. The killing occurred 50 m from the
road from Peja to Prishtina. It is supposed that he was killed by Serbian civilians.
DEÇAN: The tense situation continues. There was shooting towards the village of
Baballoç. There is uncertainty among the people, due to the presence of large police and
military forces.
Gani Shehu, chairman of the LDK branch in Junik, was arrested by police. The supply with
food has become impossible.
MITROVICA: An armored car chased passers-by between "Haxhi Veseli's" mosque and
the bus station.
PRISHTINA: Driton Hamza, a 7 year-old-child, wounded by the Serbian police in the
district of Deçan, was hospitalized in the Surgery Ward of the Prishtina Hospital.
LIPJAN: Police intervened in the offices of the Sub-CDHRF. They seized many documents
and arrested its chairman, Aziz Hyseni. He was kept for 2 hours in the premises of the
police station.

MAY 17:
KLINA: The police attacks on Gllareva, Dollova, Grabanica, Çeskova, Bokshiq, Zabërgja,
Dobërdol, Çabiq, Cerrovik, Gjurgjevik i Madh and Stapanica continued.
Large police re-enforcement from Klina were sent to the triangle between the rivers Drini i
Bardhë and Bistrica.
Police and military helicopters flew over Klina.
The villages of Cerrovik and Gllareva were shelled.
In Grabanica, the houses of Isuf, Sali, Hamdi and Bilall Rexhë Morina were burnt to the
ground. The very same happened to their carpentry workshop.
In the village of Pantina, the houses of Ajet, Adem, Osman, Shaip, Latif and Muharrem
Pantina were looted.
In Rixheva, the houses of Ramadan and Vesel Kadri Berisha, Halil Bali Veselaj, Rexhep
Berisha, Brahim Kadri Morina, Muharrem Shaban Morina and Sahit Hysenaj were burnt.
People fled under a volley of shots.
The following villagers of Stapanica and Rixheva were caught and brutally beaten: Halil
Musa and his 2 sons, Jakup and Emin, Ramadan Musa and his 2 sons, Brahim and
Bashkim, Haxhi Musa, Ajet Nevada, Ramadan Veselaj, Milazim Maliqaj and Brahim and
Ymer Morina.
Alush Musaj, his wife and 2 sons were taken by the police. Ramadan Morina's 18 member
family was taken hostage. All were brutally tortured and had to seek for medical help.
Police looted goods in many houses in the villages of Stapanica and Rixheva.
Ramadan Halil Morina (35), Sefer Halil Morina (32) and Brahim Demush Morina (45) were
killed in their house.
It is supposed that a Serbian policeman was killed.
According to Serb media, in the vicinity of Gllareva, Predrag Ristiq (31), a policeman from
Leskoc, was wounded on his head.
Milo Gjuriçiq (49), a policeman, was wounded in Grabanica.
Many ambulances were seen heading for Peja.
Xhavit Drançolli from the village of Zajm was brutally beaten by the police. He and Maliq
Morina were ordered by the police to carry the corpse of Jahir Brahim Shabani.
SKëNDERAJ: More than 50 houses were shelled in the villages of Broja and Turiqec.
The Beqiraj quarter in Padalishta was damaged.
Police looted the shops of Alush and Zenel Loshi, Fadil Çitaku and Adem Shala. Police
seized the car of the latter.
Police demolished and destroyed goods they could not carry with them: house furniture,
washing machines, etc.
DEÇAN: The tense situation continues. Police shelled the village of Baballoç.
The town is in a complete blockade. There is no movement on the main road. Snipers
stationed on high buildings survey all movement. Shops are closed.
Similar to this is the situation in Junik.
Gani Shehu (30), chairman, Nimon Tofaj, vice-chairman, and Haxhi Kreku (50), a member
of the presidency of the local LDK branch, as well as Ukshin Sallaj, a teacher, were
arrested. Police threatened to keep the LDK activists as hostage until the villagers of Junik
hand in their weapons.
PRIZREN: Serbian police brutally intervened against the peaceful protesters in Prizren.
Many were ill-treated.
Ismet Hamza (75) from Prizren suffered body injuries. He was provoked by Lubisha
Gagiq, a prison guard, who fired bullets in the air.
Serbian civilians (Gjoka Mojsiq from Dushanova, Joca, a worker of the "Kosova" GE in
Prizren) attacked protesters.
Police seized the truck of Hashim Krasniqi, a private carter from Leskovec near Prizren.
RAHOVEC: Many villages in the district of Rahovec were shelled.
In Gradisha, the house of Limon Tanusha was burnt.
In Gexha, many houses were damaged and many animals were killed.
In Ratkoc, several houses were burnt and many shops were damaged.
Masar Çmega, living in "Sheshi i Republikës" and Nesem Jupa were arrested by the
police.
Ramadan A. Morina, Arsim Morina, Agim Xh. Morina, Zenel Q. Rrustemi, Besim A.
Kastrati, Hazir Krasniqi (Turreci) and Qemal Bytyçi are kept under arrest in the county jail
in Prizren.
The situation is very tense.

DELAYED INFORMATION:

KAMENICA: On May 6, DM 650 were looted from Mehmet R. Spahiu (1963) from
Muçivërca. He had sold a cow in the market in Rogaçica.
MITROVICA: On May 9, policemen stationed in Hani i Elezit stopped the "Kosovatransi"
bus. Its driver, Ahmet Jusuf Kastrati (54) from Mitrovica, living in the "Qendra" quarter, was
severely ill-treated. He was ill-treated as he did not accept to run over the protesters.
Ahmet had 3 ribs broken and had to seek for medical help.
KAÇANIK: On May 11, a group of Serbian civilians, in the vicinity of the "Kalaja" motel in
Kaçanik, physically ill-treated Besim Qamil Zeneli (1977), a student, and Jeton Tefik Raka
(1979), a pupil with the "Elena Gjika" Secondary School.
LIPJAN: On May 12, Lulzim Hetemi (1973) from Sllovia was beaten-up until he fainted by
the police at the Hani i Elezit border cross with Macedonia. He was tortured with electro-
shock.
PODUJEVA: On May 12, police inspectors in the vicinity of the green market, physically ill-
treated brothers Adem and Qamil Sabit Mehmeti from Godishnjak. The 2 were ill-treated
under the pretext of opposing the inspectors.
KLINA: On May 13, Serbian police and military forces shelled the "Azem Bejta" Primary
School in Këpuz as well as the houses of Bajram and Mehmet Hajdini, Ahmet Fazliu,
Bajram Dauti, Halil Isufi, Ukë Idrizi, Ymer Berisha, Kadri Halili and Xhafer and Sadri Qamili.
In the village of Dollova, the houses of Zeqir and Hajdar Shala, Sylë and Sokol Isufi, Imer
Mala, Sali Azemi and Zeqir Prekolluka were shelled.
Serbian forces accompanied by armed civilians destroyed house furniture and agricultural
equipment.
PEJA: On May 13, tens of masked Serb soldiers, armed with snipers, automatic guns and
bombs, surrounded the houses of Adem and Rrustem Brala in the "Zatra" quarter. Their
sons, Ali (1979) and Brahim Brala (1981), managed to escape and to seek help from their
neighbor, Kadrush Dakë Kelmendi.
Soldiers interrogated people on the KLA.
On May 13, Ilir Brahim Selimaj from Lluga e Drinit, a pupil with the "Ali Hadri" Economical
Secondary School in Peja, was beaten-up by the police in Ozdrim until he fainted. He was
accused of co-operating with the KLA.
SUHAREKA: On May 13, Xhemajl Aliu from Sopia was physically ill-treated by the police in
Shiroka.
MALISHEVA: On May 13, police in the vicinity of Bellacërka, stopped Hamzë Bytyçi from
Shkoza. He was taken out of his car, beaten-up, dragged and threatened to be shot.
VUSHTRRI: On May 13, in the vicinity of "Ura e Gurit", Arton Zeka, a pupil with the
Technical Secondary School in Vushtrria, was severely beaten-up by 5 policemen. Due to
injuries suffered he had to seek for medical help.

Prishtina, May 17, 1998                 Information Service