REPORT NO. 497
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM MAY 7
UNTIL MAY 14 , 2000
REPORT NO. 497
on the situation of human rights and freedoms in Kosova from 7 until 14 May 2000
Between 7 and 14 May, 4 Kosovars were killed (3 Albanians and one unidentified person). Several corpses were found in mass graves and other places. Some of them were identified. A person walked into a minefield and suffered injuries. Two minefields were identified.
Killings
On 8 May. - Ekrem Rexha – Drini (1961), the Head of the Directorate for Security and Environment at the Municipal Assembly in Prizren, a former KLA commander, was killed in Prizren, at about 8.30, some 30 metres away from his house.
On
9 May. – At about 8 am, a corpse aged 40 was found in Grashtica (Prishtina),
at the place called Përroni i Grashticës.
-
Ukë Qehaja (48) was killed in Retia (Rahovec). He was shot with 15
bullets.
On 13 May. – Unidentified persons killed Adnan Zherka in Gjakova.
Mass graves – identifications
FUSHË-KOSOVA:
On 8 May, three corpses were found in the mass grave in Vragolia. Those
of Sefer Orllati (1910) and Shahe Orllati (1924) were identified, whereas
the third corpse could not be unidentified.
SKËNDERAJ:
Two corpses were found in the house yard of Tahir Xhema in Açareva.
One of them was identified. It was the corpse of Hasan Hajdari (71), who
was identified by his son. The other corpse is believed to be that of Hajzer
Hajzeri (43) from Likoc. These two persons were considered missing.
PEJA:
A decomposed corpse was found at the place called Shpella (Rugova Gorge).
GJAKOVA:
A male corpse in a KLA uniform was found in the mountains of Qerret in
the village of Shishman, in the vicinity of the border with Albania. It
is believed that the Serbian forces killed him in 1999.
Disappearances and kidnappings
PRISHTINA: Since 30 March, there are no information on the whereabouts of Florije Ibrahim Rubovci (1978) from the village of Halabak (Podujeva), living in the “Kodra e Trimave” quarter in Prishtina. That day, Florija was on her way to see the doctor. Ever since, she did come back.
Mine accidents
PRIZREN: On 13 May, in Planeja e Hasit, a person hit a mine and suffered injuries on his leg. KFOR soldiers took him to hospital by helicopter.
KLINA: The KFOR Command stated that two minefields were identified in Volljaka and Cerovik. The minefield in Cerovik covers some 100 square metres. Cluster bombs were identified in the bauxite mine in Volljaka.
Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations
VITI:
On 8 May, a group of 150 Serbs from the village of Kllokot blocked the
road Gjilan-Viti and the entrance of the Rehabilitation Centre “Banja e
Kllokotit” in Kllokot. They attacked the inhabitants living in the nearby
buildings and headed towards the Centre to attack the patients. Yet, they
were prevented by KFOR troops. The workers with the Centre could not go
to work due to the roadblocks. Serbs tried to enter the Centre but were
prevented by the patients. Three patients were injured. The staff sought
shelter at the Plant of mineral water. In the meantime, additional KFOR
troops arrived on the spot and promised to unblock the road. This was finally
done at about 18.00. During the blockade, the patients did not receive
any food or medical assistance. Only KFOR physicians could offer their
help to the patients. At about 20.00, several workers managed to enter
the building with the help of KFOR American troops. During the blockade,
the Albanian population, too, headed towards Kllokot. The roads were blocked
and KFOR troops had to use force in order to unblock the roads and disperse
the Albanian population. There are no information on the injured.
On
10 May, KFOR sources informed about 3 incidents. In Vërbovc, about
200-300 Serbs gathered to protest under the pretext of the attack against
the vacant Serbian houses. They insulted, attacked with stones and threatened
the KFOR American troops. A soldier was injured. According to the KFOR
sources, there were two other incidents. A team of the American military
police was attacked with stones, and the troops protecting the Serbian
Orthodox Church were attacked.
MITROVICA:
On 9 May, between 9.00 and 18.00, in the “Ibri”, “Kodra e Minatorëve”,
and “7 Shtatori” quarters in the north of Mitrovica, groups of Serbs entered
all Albanian houses, from which the Albanians had been expelled by their
Serbian neighbours.
On
10 May, at about 20.30, seven Serbs (two of them had radio connections),
led by Miroslav Raliq entered the flat of Shaban Asllan Haxha (23), while
his mother Hata (52) was inside alone. She was expelled from the flat.
Two Serbs occupied it.
GJILAN: On 9 May, 6 persons were wounded in a Serbian shop in Cërnica. Two of them were taken to the hospital in the American Camp Bondsteel in Sojeva (Ferizaj).
PRIZREN:
On 10 May, at about 10.00, unidentified persons threatened the workers
of the Radio – Prizren through anonymous phone calls to kill them and burn
the building if they continued to broadcast classical music for the tribute
paid to Ekrem Rexha – Drini, who was killed on 8 May.
UNMIK
police informed that several unidentified persons broke into the premises
of the German humanitarian organisation “ASB” and looted the safe box,
in which were deposited the documentation of this organisation, that of
the “VEH” humanitarian organisation and a considerable sum of money.
PEJA: On 10 May, at about 4.00 am, two unidentified persons attempted to loot the humanitarian organisation “Norvegian People Aid” in Peja and wounded a Swede, a worker with this organisation.
LIPJAN: On 12 May, Serbs in Dobratin blocked the road Lipjan-Janjeva and the one leading to Sllovia. As a counteraction, the Albanians blocked the crossroad in Banulla on the road Prishtina-Shkup. At about 17.00, KFOR Finnish soldiers unblocked the road to Dobratin. Later on, two cars were demolished at the same place.
The prisoners
SKËNDERAJ:
On 9 May, Nehat Dervishi from Leçina was released from the prison
in Kragujevc (Serbia). He was arrested in 1999 and was sentenced to one
year of imprisonment by the District Court in Novi Pazar. Nehat served
his sentence. He stated that there is one more Albanian prisoner in that
prison. He is from Prekalla (Istog).
Recently,
the following were released from the Serbian prisons: brothers Nasuf and
Nazif Adem Deliu, brothers Mustafë and Agim Habib Ahmeti and Kasim
Tahir Ahmeti – all from Rezalla; Ramadan Bislimi, Skënder Haxha and
Fadil Shabani – from Prekazi i Epërm; Haradin Aliu from Plluzhina
and Brahin Fetahu from Likoc.
VUSHTRRI:
A few days ago, the following were released from the prison in Pozharevc
(Serbia): Ibrahim Bajrami (45) and Abdyl Sejdiu (38) from Pantina, Zukë
Aliu (55) from Strovc and Sylejman Bejta (34) from Smrekonica.
NISH: On 8 May, prior to the beginning of the trial against 145 Albanians from Gjakova, Teki Bokshi and Mustafë Radoniqi, lawyers hired by the Humanitarian Law Fund, informed the bar that they had been taken for informative talks at the police station in Nish.
KFOR interventions
RAHOVEC:
In the night between 8 and 9 May, German military police intervened in
the “Arditi” restaurant in Rahovec. On searching the guests, they tied
them up and beat them. Several persons were arrested. One guest from Gjakova
suffered serious injuries. The soldiers found a revolver on one of the
guests. The pretext for the intervention is unknown.
Prishtina, 14 May 2000
Information Service