Wochenbericht Nr. 480 der
REPORT NO. 480
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM JANUARY 9
UNTIL JANUARY 16, 1999
on the situation of the human rights and freedoms in Kosova from January 9 until January 16, 2000
Between
January 9-16, 7 persons were killed (4 Bosniacs, an Albanian girl and two
unidentified persons); the corpse of an unidentified Albanian was found
(the latter was kidnapped on January 1); the corpses of 5 Albanians, who
were killed by the Serbian forces, were identified and reburied; the identity
of two women could not be confirmed; A KLA soldier was reburied as well.
One Albanian was wounded.
A number of Albanian prisoners were released
from the Serb prisons. The District Court in Leskovc initiated the legal
proceedings against 144 Albanians from Gjakova. Several incidents were
reported in different parts of Kosova, especially in the northern part
of Mitrovica. Attacks and provocations by groups of Serbs have become a
widespread phenomenon. Several KFOR interventions were reported especially
in the Anamorava region.
Killings
On January 1 – at about 7 p.m., unidentified persons kidnapped Salih Hysen Emini (52) from the village of Reçak near Shtime (while returning from work). His corpse was found in the village of Petrova, on January 3.
On January 10 – the following members of a Bosniac family were killed in the “Tusus” quarter in Prizren: Sezair Skënderi (52) and his wife Anife (50), their daughter Ardiana (21) and Sezair’s mother Gjyla (78).
On January 13 – the corpse of Merita Hamdi Shabiu (12) from the village of Debëlldeja, living in Vitia, was found in the outskirts of Vitia. Merita went missing on January 12. The victim was raped. An American soldier Frank J. Ronghi (36) was accused of the crime. The officer is being kept in detention in the prison of the Bondsteel Camp in Sojeva near Ferizaj. Soon, he is to be transferred to the prison in the American military base in Majnhajm in Germany. There, military prosecutors will investigate him.
On January 14 - at about midnight, two unidentified corpses (shot with fire arms) were found by a KFOR patrol to the North of Gjakova.
Mass graves – reburials and the identification of the killed
On January 12 - Kadri Salih Qerimi, a KLA soldier, who was killed by the Serbian forces on April 1999, was reburied in the village of Katunishta near Podujeva.
FUSHË-KOSOVA:
6 corpses were exhumed from the cemetery in the village of Bresje, on December
6, 1999. The corpses of the following were identified: Zymrie Osmani (55)
from Fushë Kosova and her two sons Lulzim (1971) and Luan (1975) as
well as her daughter-in-law (1973). Two female corpses were not identified.
MITROVICA:
The corpse of Nazmi Smajl Maziqi was found in the cemetery in the village
of Suhodoll and reburied.
Woundings
PODUJEVA: On January 13, late at night, Hasan Visoka, the vice president of the local branch of the “Mother Theresa” Humanitarian & Charitable Association in Podujeva, was heavily wounded with firearms. Hasan was wounded in Prishtina while entering the house in which he is temporarily living.
Disappearances and kidnappings
GLLOGOC: There are no information on the whereabouts of Përparim Vesel Hajdinaj (1984) from the village of Tërdec. Përparim is mentally ill.
Mine fields
SUHAREKA: A minefield was found in the “Suka” quarter in the vicinity of the village of Bllaca.
Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations
MITROVICA: On January 11, the activists of the
sub-CDHRF in Mitrovica, found different items (rope, women’s underwear,
dresses, etc.) in the premises of the Stantërgu mines. It is believed
that the Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces used these objects
as raping centers. Bloodstains can be seen on the walls of the building.
During
the evening hours, a group of Serbs in the northern part of Mitrovica (carrying
Motorola’s), physically ill-treated Mustafë Radoniqi, a lawyer with
the Humanitarian Law Fund. His car was stolen.
On January 12, at about 8.20 a.m., 4 Serbs physically
ill-treated Bajram Sherif Beci (52), a professor, living in the ‘Tavnik”
quarter. The incident occurred in the vicinity of the court building in
the presence of the UNMIK police. Bajram works as an interpreter for UNMIK.
At 10.30 p.m., 4 Serbs burned the house of Shemsije
Osman Osmani (42) in the “Tavnik” quarter in the northern part of Mitrovica.
Sefë Sadri Sefa (44) and Ahmet Shahini (53), a Bosniac, were physically
ill treated while trying to extinguish the fire. After midnight, the same
group of Serbs came to loot and burn the other Albanian houses. An Albanian
citizen informed the UNMIK police, who did not respond to the call.
On
January 13, at about 3 p.m., some 30 Serbs physically ill-treated the following
UNMIK workers: Behije Hagjaj (24), Abedin Miftari (34) and two Albanians
named Nazmi and Sylejman. The incident occurred in the vicinity of
the Technical Secondary School in the “Ibri” quarter.
At about midnight, Serbs opened random fire from
automatic weapons in the village of Suhadoll and in the “7 Shtatori”, “Kroi
i Vitakut” and “Ibri” quarters in Mitrovica.
At
about midnight, some 300 Serbs tried to stop a car heading towards the
southern part of Mitrovica. According to the UNMIK police the Albanians
inside the car managed to cross the bridge.
At
1 a.m., a group of Serbs physically ill-treated Qazim Misin Hyseni (1935),
his wife Afije Zymer Hyseni (1936) and their children Sami (30) and Shqipe
(22). The above mentioned live in the “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter
in the northern part of the town. Qazim was taking his wife, who suffers
from a heart disease, to the Health Care Center. When they arrived at the
Ibri Bridge French soldiers stopped them. Once they opened the door, they
were attacked by a Serb mob. Sami managed to return to the car, but was
stopped by other soldiers, who took him out of the car, tied his hands,
beat him and handed him to the UNMIK police. He was kept in detention until
8 a.m., the next day, under the pretext that he had crossed the bridge
without permit.
On
January 14, at about 2 p.m., a large group of Serbs attacked the family
of Bahrije Shaqir Sylejmani (45) in their flat in the “Ibri” quarter. Doors
and windows were broken. UNMIK police reacted in due time and saved the
family from further problems.
At about 4 p.m., a group of Serbs led by Dushko
Shilikoviq and his son Dragan, attacked a group of Albanians, who were
coming out of the UNHCR bus. The incident occurred in the “7 Shtatori”
quarter. As the Serbs beat several men and women, an Albanian opened fire
and wounded two of the assaulters.
A
group of Serbs went to the flat of Ismet Emra and beat him until he fainted.
French soldiers took him to their field hospital and gave him the first
aid. In the meantime, the assaulters locked Ismet’s wife inside the flat.
French soldiers escorted Ismet back to his flat. The next day, he was once
again provoked and threatened to leave his flat within 15 days.
On
January 15, at about 3.45 p.m., a group of Serbs, led by Ivan Slavko Mandiq
from the “Ibri” quarter, went to the flat of Sherine Ejup Kralani (63)
and severely ill-treated her and her daughter Myrvete Ahmet Hoxha (43).
Sherine had both her hands broken. Later on,
the assaulters went to the flat of Jashar Emin Jashari (54) and beat him
until he fainted. The incidents occurred in the “7 Shtatori” quarter. The
above mentioned were evicted from their flats. Serb and Roma families occupied
them.
A
group of Serbs blocked several buildings on the road to Suhadoll. The Serbs
tried to evict the Albanian families living in them but were prevented
by French soldiers and the UNMIK police.
PRISHTINA:
On January 11, at about 10 p.m., there were several blasts in the
“Dardania” quarter in Prishtina. A KFOR officer confirmed that an explosive
device had been placed in a garbage container. Part of it did not explode
and was later on activated by KFOR soldiers and the UNMIK police.
On
January 12, at about 10.35 p.m., a civilian attacked an UNMIK police officer
who was regulating the traffic in the “Dardania” quarter in Prishtina.
The policeman suffered injuries on his eye and hand. During the arrest
the assaulter was lightly injured on his nose, taken to the hospital and
then to jail.
The
very same day, a citizen of Macedonia attacked a member of the UNMIK border
police at the border cross in Bllace. The assaulter was arrested and taken
to the prison of the American military camp Bondsteel in Sojeva near Ferizaj.
KAMENICA: On January 12, at about 12.40 p.m., a group of Serbs from Graçanica threw stones at the “Përparimi” bus from Topanica traveling between Kamenica and Prishtina. The bus, owned by Ramadan Morina, was considerably damaged.
PODUJEVA: On January 13, at about 2 a.m., a powerful blast was heard from the “Përparimi” Agricultural Combine in Podujeva. Fire spread on the first floor of the building causing high material losses. The offices of the “Mother Theresa” branch in Podujeva were located in this building.
FUSHË-KOSOVA: On January 13, between 8-9 p.m., unidentified persons looted the house of Milivoje Dushan Dediq (1951) in Fushë-Kosova.
GJILAN: On January 15, at about 3 a.m., the Orthodox Church in the outskirts of the village of Cërnica was badly damaged in a powerful blast.
LIPJAN: On January 15, at about 11 a.m., a powerful blast was heard in the vicinity of the gas station in the outskirts of Lipjan.
PEJA: A group of Serbs from the village of Gorazhdec stopped Sali Ramë Rama from Zahaq while on his way to Poçesta. As they did not manage to take him out of the car, they attacked him with stones.
VITI: A few days ago, two vacant houses were destroyed in Vitia as a result of two powerful blasts. The houses were owned by an Albanian who had previously bought them from a Serb. Fire was set to two shops full of goods. The shops were owned by Albanians who had previously bought them from Serbs.
The prisoners
PEJA:
Agron Kollçaku from Peja, who was arrested by the Serbian police
on December 1998, was released from the prison in Zajeçar (Serbia).
PRISHTINA:
The ICRC reported that with its mediation 15 Albanians were released from
the prisons in Serbia (13 are from Prizren, one from Prishtina and one
from Deçan). 13 were released from the prison in Pozharevc one from
Leskovc and one from Nish.
PRISHTINA:
On January 14, Teki Bokshi, a lawyer of the Humanitarian Law Fund, confirmed
that the District Court in Leskovc (Serbia) had initiated legal proceedings
against 144 Albanians from Gjakova.
KLINA:
The ICRC reported that Ramë Sefer Gashi from the village of Përçeva
is in the prison in Pozharevc (Serbia). 6 months ago, he was arrested by
the Serbian forces in Prishtina.
KFOR interventions
VITI: During the intervention of the American soldiers in the “Drenica” café in Vitia Xhavit Hasani, the owner of the café, Skënderbe Hebibi, a former commander of the KLA and vice-chairman of the PPDK as well as Heset Baftiari, were arrested. The three were arrested as they refused to close the café. After public protests and talks with Lamberto Kevin, the commander of the American troops in Vitia, the café was reopened and Skënderbe was released. The release of the other two detainees was promised as well.
GJAKOVA: On January 15, in the early hours of the morning, Italian soldiers in the outskirts of Gjakova stopped the bus and the van of the Shën Ndou Albanian Catholic Church in Prishtina. The church choir was on an excursion throughout Kosova. The children, who were in the company of abbot Don Nosh Gjolaj, were taken out of the vehicles and the vehicles were searched for half an hour. Later on, the children under the age of ten were allowed to enter the bus whereas the others were thoroughly checked. The soldiers justified their action claiming that they had found weapons among other children (!). Apart from Don Noshi, Fatmir Hoxha, two nuns, seven missionaries and one woman from the Philippines, employee with the OSCE, were accompanying the children.
Evidence on war criminals
OBILIQ: The Albanian villagers of Babimoc presented a list with the names of the Serb paramilitaries who participated in the killings of the Albanians and the burning of the Albanian villages in Drenica and other regions in Kosova. The names of the following were in the list: Milorad Dançetoviq – Mile, commander of the local military units, Zoran Trajkoviq, commander of the paramilitaries; brothers Jovica, Novica (Nole –captain) and Rashko Nikoliq; brothers Mura and Franda Tisa Petroviq and Dushko Petroviq, Milun Petroviq, Goran Petroviq and Boban Petroviq; Toma Jovanoviq, Sasha Jovanoviq, Miqa Jovanoviq, Rade Jovanonoviq – Lake and Dragutin Jovanoviq; Zhivorad Agjançiq – Zhika, Çasllav Agjançiq – Lista, Zharko Agjançiq and Dragan Agjançiq; Milan Miliq, Dragan Miliq and Gjoka Miliq; Nenad Bojkoviq and Toma Bojkoviq; Dragan Petkoviq and Vojislav Petkoviq; Tisa Ristiq and Lola Ristiq; Dragan Miqaloviq and Milorad Miqaloviq; Dragisha Stanojeviq and Stanisha Stanojeviq; as well as Aleksandar Igiq (the son of Zhivorad Igiq, former high official of the SPS in Kosova), Milosh Mishiq - captain, Zhivojin Dançetoviq, Nebojsha Zlakiq, Predrag Milosavleviq – Pedi, Miqa Daniq, Boban Slaviq and Sasha Mihailoviq – Petalta.
According to the Albanian villagers of Babimoc, there are indications that Çasllav Agjançiq executed 4 Albanian youngsters from Barileva. The hands of the victims were tied. Gjoka Miliq was the person who organized the attack on the houses of his Albanian fellow-villagers on March 24, 1999. Miqa Daniq and Miqa Jovanoviq were among those who ill-treated the displaced Albanians moving through the village of Vranidoll near Prishtina, on April 30, 1999. 300 Albanians were arrested. Toma Bojkoviq participated in many crimes in the villages of Vushtrria. Most of the Serbs from the village of Babimoc, who were accused of war crimes, are still in this village. Slavisha Vukadinoviq from the village of Palaj near Obiliq commanded with a paramilitary unit, which terrorized the villagers of Barileva.
Delayed information:
KAMENICA:
On January 6, at 7 a.m., some 500 soldiers (Americans and Russians) accompanied
with 60 vehicles and 10 helicopters, searched some 140 houses in the village
of Koperrnica, under the pretext of searching for weapons. Many doors were
broken, especially in the vacant houses. 5 guns were found and the following
were arrested: Hysen Ejup Sinani (1973), Halil Sinani, Riza M. Ajvazi,
Selman Ajvazi and Hasan H. Hoxha. Hysen was physically ill treated by a
Russian soldier in the Ceramics Factory in Kamenica. For more than 4 hours
he was kept in the cold. Hysen suffered injuries on his head. Prior to
the raid, Shefik Beqiri, the commander of the 172 Brigade of the 6th operational
zone of the TMK was arrested.
LIPJAN:
On January 7, at about 9 p.m., a group of 30 Serbs armed with firearms
and hand bombs tried to enter the “Jehona” café in Lipjan. Many
Albanians were threatened. 4 cars were demolished.
PRISHTINA:
On January 7, at about 2 p.m., Serbs from the village of Kishnica blocked
the road between Prishtina and Gjilan. In the presence of KFOR troops,
they threw stones on the buses and passing cars. Serbs from Graçanica
attacked an Albanian elderly. Several Albanian youngsters came out of a
bus to defend the old man. Both sides threw stones and bottles at each
other. KFOR prevented further conflicts.
VITI:
During the last few days, American soldiers in Vitia ill-treated a large
number of Albanian citizens. The following are among the ill-treated: Qazim
Ukshini, a member of the public order police; Ardian Bislimi, a pupil,
and Xhabir Ismajli – from Drobesh; Ruzhdi Salihu from Remnik and Baki Ramadani
from Gjylekara (deaf), employee of the “Vinex” Enterprise in Vitia. After
public protests and talks with high ranking officers of the American troops
in Vitia it was promised that such cases would not occur in the future
(beatings, ill treatments, arbitrary arrests, etc.).
Prishtina, January 16, 2000 Information Service
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