REPORT NO. 477
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM DECEMBER 19
UNTIL DECEMBER 26, 1999
REPORT NO. 477
on the situation of human rights
and freedoms in Kosova
from 19 until 26 December 1999
During this week, according to the available data,
3 Albanians were killed; 3 citizens were wounded, 2 of whom are Albanians
(one died in a mine accident) and one is Serb. A girl was kidnapped and
there was a kidnap attempt of two other youngsters. Family members identified
31 Albanian civilians, killed by Serbian forces in the end of March this
year.
CHRONICLE
Killing
20 December. – Mejdi Sylejmani
(about 50) from Sadovina e Jerlive was killed at about 16.00, in the entrance
of Vitia.
22 December. – An Albanian
citizen was killed due to the shots fired from a car heading towards Lipjan
and another one was wounded.
23 December. – The corpse
of Riza Sokoli (43) from Dollova (Klina) was found at the Ura e Hekurit
near Klina.
Mass graves – reburials, identifications
SKËNDERAJ: Last days,
until 23 December, according to the clothes and other personal things of
the killed persons, exhibited in the building of the District Council in
Skënderaj, family members identified 31 Albanians, executed by the
Serbian forces on 28 March in Izbica, when 127 Albanian civilians were
executed. Later on, several other executed Albanian civilians were buried
in that grave, therefore there were corpses of over 150 Albanian civilians
in that mass grave. In order to eliminate traces of the crimes, in the
end of May, Serbian forces took the corpses from this grave towards unknown
direction. Some of them were found in the mass graves in Suhodoll (Mitrovica)
and Bruznik and Novolan (Vushtrri). So far, the following were identified:
Mehmet Hajra, Qerime Hajra (39), Halit Rrustemi (52), Bajram Bajra (34)
and Muhamet Emra (39) – Izbica; Rexhë Duraku (87), Bel Duraku (71),
Avdullah Duraku (55), Hajriz Shala (77), Hysen Shala (36), Milazim Zeka
(53), Jahir Zeka (45) and Sheremet Thaçi (51) – Buroja; Rrahim Tahiri
(80), Rrahim Krasniqi (70) and Sadik Sherif Hoti (67) – Vojnika; Halit
Musliu (62), Muhamet Musliu (46) and Naim Musliu (23) – Klina e Poshtme;
Shefqet Hoti (56) and Vehbi Hoti (26) – Marina; Osman Dajaku (59) – Rakinica,
Murat Draga (35) – Leçina, Selman Ukë Loshi (78) – Padalishta
and Ilaz Bajra (68) – Kllodernica (Skënderaj) as well as Hamzë
Qupeva (49), Hajdar Bajraktari (52) and Tahir Hoti (56) – Jashanica; Azem
Kuqica (70) and Hamdi Doçi (44) – Kërrnica and Sabit Qallpeku
(39) – Shtupel (Klina).
VUSHTRRI: On 24 December,
an unidentified corpse wrapped up in a plastic bag was found in a grave
in Duboc.
Wounding in mine accidents
GJILAN: On 20 December, Nexhat Ali Zymberaj (1952) from Burica e Karadakut stepped on a mined field in Logja and suffered severe wounds. He was taken to the Prishtina Hospital urgently.
Wounding
RAHOVEC: On 20 December, late in the evening, in the quarter where the Serbs, Roma and hashkali live, a Roma called Gafurr severely wounded a Serb named Gërkoviq (18).
Disappearances and kidnappings
GJAKOVA: On 19 December, at
about 19.30, in the vicinity of the Catholic Church in Gjakova, 4 persons
in a white “Ford van attempted to kidnap an 18-year-old boy.
On 22 December, at about 23.30,
in Çarshia e Vogël in Gjakova, two unknown persons kidnapped
a girl, who according to an eyewitness was from Peja. She was a guest in
Gjakova.
PRISHTINA: On 22 December,
three unknown persons attempted to kidnap a girl (pupil) from Prishtina.
On noticing the KFOR patrol, they released her and ran away towards unknown
direction. Due to the slippery road, they could not manage to go very far,
so KFOR British soldiers could catch them and hand them in to the UNMIK
police.
Trials
- On 22 December, the District Court in Kurshumlia (Serbia) convicted Senad Begu and Selim Azemi, both from Podujeva, to 8 months of imprisonment each for “illegal felling of trees”. They were kidnapped on 14 September by Serbian policemen and civilians, while they were cutting woods in their own forests in the vicinity of Merdar, on the border Kosova-Serbia.
Ill-treatment, attacks, provocations
FUSHË-KOSOVA: On 19 December,
at about 21.30, in Çagllavica (Prishtina), some Serbs attacked Abdylmenaf
Rrustemi, a teacher with the “Hivzi Sylejmani” Gymnasium in Fushë-Kosova,
while he was travelling by car to Prishtina. They broke the car door.
PRISHTINA: On 19 December,
after 22.00, several cars were damaged due to a grenade explosion in “Dardania”
quarter.
MITROVICA: On 20 December,
at 13.30, a group of Serbs attacked the office of the Albanian Republican
Party, which is in the northern part of the town.
The very same day, by the
order of the UNMIK regional administrator in Mitrovica, Stefan De Mistura,
the UN flag was removed from the Mitrovica Hospital, which is in the northern
part of the town, as the Serbian medical staff refused the return of 22
Albanian doctors in this hospital. De Mistura stated that the UN flag would
be raised in this hospital, when the Albanian doctors and patients would
return. Until then, there will be no aid for this hospital.
On 23 December, at about 12.30,
in “7 Shtatori” quarter, in the northern part of the town, two Serbs severely
ill treated Aslihane Hakif Begu (49) and her son Shpend Shasivar Begu (15),
living in this quarter, and threatened them with killing if they move in
this part of the town again.
The very same day, Bahri Pllana
(brother of Basri Pllana, a collaborator of the Serbian regime) threatened
with fire weapon the medical staff in the Health Care Centre in Mitrovica
and opened fire in the stomatology ward, when windows got broken. On going
out, he threatened the citizens, insulted a girl and pointed his weapon
at a youngster, who on self-defence wounded him on his hand. Bahri was
taken to the French military hospital.
Through an anonymous phone
call made to the so-called “Serbian District Council”, which operates in
the northern part of the town, the paramilitary organisation “Beli Orlovi”
(White eagles) claimed the responsibility for the attack on the office
of the Albanian Republican Party in Mitrovica.
The prisoners and prisons
PRISHTINA: An Albanian citizen
introduced with his initials A. I. from Banja e Sijarinës (Medvegja),
who was released from the military prison of Nish (Serbia) on 17 December
and who lives with his family in Shkup, managed to take a list with the
names of 15 Albanian prisoners in Nish, even though their number is much
higher. According to him, the following were on the same floor with him:
Dedë Markaj,
Frano Komoni and
Haxhi Pajazitaj - from Gjakova;
Robert Gashi,
Jani or Toni Prela,
Lazër Krasniqi and Sokol Ndue – from Korenica (Gjakova);
Fatmir Shashivar Memaj,
Kujtim Ekrem Memaj,
Nexhmedin Haki Ajazaj and
Elez Kurtaj – from Zhur (Prizren);
Ibrahim Tahiri and
Abdyl Morina – from the district of Rahovec;
Jeton Dalip Krasniqi from Buça (Dragash) and
Gani Shukriu from the district of Prizren.
PEJA: The following were released
from the prison of Leskovc (Serbia):
Beqir Tahir Loxha,
Xhevat Ramë Bajrami and
Vllaznim Brahim Përgjegjaj from Vitomirica and
Agron Ibrahim Kollçaku from Peja.
They were arrested by Serbian forces 7 months ago.
SUHAREKA: On 24 December, Sokol Ymer Kabashi (1972) from Dardhishta (Suhareka) was released from the prison of Prokuple (Serbia). He was arrested on 24 January 1999 on the border with Hungary in Kelebi of Subotica (Vojvodina).
PRISHTINA: On 20 December, at about 6.00 am, UNMIK police, in cooperation with KFOR, arrested an Albanian (32), under the suspicion that within two month he had committed 5 killings in Llukar.
Eastern Kosova – (Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja)
BUJANOC: On 21 December, at
about 19.00, 7 Serbian policemen entered the “Teuta” pizzeria in Bujanoc,
where they provoked, insulted on a national and family basis and threatened
with liquidation the waiter Lirim Sherifali Nazifi (1979). On leaving,
policemen ill-treated Hevzi Bilall Ahmeti (1947), a pensioner, owner of
the building.
PRESHEVA: These days, 100-150
members of Serbian special units were situated in Presheva. They were stationed
in the Youth House in Presheva and during the patrol, they usually go in
groups of 15-20 members.
KFOR interventions
KAÇANIK: On 26 December,
in the vicinity of Doganaj, at the cross-road Tetova-Brezovica, KFOR Polish
soldiers stopped the Albanian sportsmen, who were on their way to Brezovica
for the activity “All in snow”, previously announced by the Ski Federation
of Kosova. Moreover, soldiers opened fire thrice on the tyre of the car,
in which was Hajrush Demaj, chairman of the Ski Federation of Kosova.
Prishtina, 26 December 1999 Information Service