Wochenbericht Nr. 498 der
REPORT NO. 498
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM MAY 14
UNTIL MAY 21, 2000
REPORT NO. 498
on the situation of human rights and freedoms in Kosova from 14 until 21 May 2000
Between 14 and 21 May, 5 Kosovars were killed (3 Albanians – one of them in an explosion, 1 Serb and a person whose identity could not be confirmed); two Albanian children were wounded in an explosion. 4 Albanian corpses, killed by the Serbian forces, a human skeleton and some bones as well as a human scull were found. A kidnap attempt against a man and a woman was reported.
Killings
On 16 May. – The corpse of Petar Topolski (25), a local employee with UNMIK, was found in Rimanishta (Prishtina). He went missing a week ago. According to UNMIK, he was stabbed and strangled.
On 17 May. - An Albanian (45) was killed at about 21.00, in front of his kiosk in the “Dardania” quarter in Prishtina. Fire was opened towards him from a car driving by. He died of the wounds suffered on the way to hospital.
On 18 May. – UNMIK informed that at about 16.00, a corpse, killed in the region of Lipjan, was handed in to the UNMIK police station in Lipjan.
On 19 May. – On the border zone between Kosova and Serbia, a kilometre within the territory of Kosova, at about 16.00, Serbian police shot Arben Sadik Ramadani (1981), a student from Gjilan, while he was picking mushrooms. Arben was taken to the hospital of the American military camp Bondsteel in Sojeva (Ferizaj), where he died despite the medical assistance offered.
Mass graves – identifications
PRISHTINA:
On 17 May, while cutting wood in the Butovci forest, a person noticed a
jacket with some human bones in it and a human scull. He also found a leg
bone with the sports shoe on it and an arm bone with pieces of a red shirt.
DEÇAN:
On 17 May, the corpse of Sahit Mehmet Shala (1956) from Dubovik, who was
considered missing since 4 April 1999, was found in the Bjeshkët e
Nemuna Mountains, at the place called Qafa e Milishevcit. He was identified
by family members and fellow-villagers according to his clothes, ID card
and some other personal things.
Sub-CDHRF
in Deçan informs that on 10 May, the skeleton of a male person aged
18 – 25 wearing a shirt, trousers, shoes no. 40, was found at the place
called Stanet e Shalës in the Strellci Mountains. The clothes were
in good condition.
VUSHTRRI:
Different clothes belonging to 2 or 3 persons were found at the place called
Te livadhet e Kovaçëve between the villages of Brusnik and
Bukosh. A dress, a nightgown, underpants, jeans, grey trousers and a sweater
were found.
SKËNDERAJ:
Three corpses were found in the vicinity of the Ammunition Plant in Skënderaj.
Among them the corpse of Xhevdet Koca (21) from Polac (a mentally ill person),
who was considered missing, was identified, whereas the other two (a youngster
and an old woman) were not identified.
Mine accidents
PRIZREN:
On 14 May, Merbian Pulaj suffered wounds due to an explosion in the vicinity
of Vërmica. Some persons found mines along the Drini i Bardhë
River. They played with them. One of the mines exploded and wounded one
person. Both wounded persons were taken to the Prizreni hospital.
FERIZAJ:
On 21 May, in the vicinity of Gërlica, at about 14.30, a mine explosion
killed Dardan Prushi (7) and wounded his brother Amir (12) and their friend
Driton Vogliqi (10). They were taken to the Prishtina Hospital. Amir’s
life is in danger.
Disappearances and kidnappings
ZUBIN
POTOK: On 17 May, at about 21.00, in Zupç, Serbs attempted to kidnap
Muhamet Veseli from Çabra while he was travelling to Mitrovica (three
other passengers were in his car). Muhamet did not stop the car when he
approached the crowd of 30 armed Serbs, who threw stones to the car and
broke its windows.
PRIZREN:
On 18 May, at about 22.00, two persons attempted to kidnap a woman in front
of the “Elan” Enterprise in Prizren. Thanks to the intervention of KFOR
soldiers, the woman was saved, whereas the kidnappers left towards an unknown
direction.
Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations
BURIM (ISTOG): On 14 May, unidentified persons broke into the Registration Centre no. 3 in Banja and demolished doors and windows. They destroyed the electric installation.
PEJA: On 14 May, at about 10.00, a group of Serbs from Kastrat (Gorazhdec) blocked the road for an hour and ill-treated Luan Bytyçi and Afrim Krasniqi. On 10 May, at about 18.30, Serbs from Kastrat stopped the school bus and ill-treated the driver.
MITROVICA:
On 16 May, at about 11.30, in the vicinity of the “Bagat” shop, 100 metres
away from the Ibri Bridge, 5 Serbs led by Slavko Mandiq ill-treated Selim
Regjoviq (45), living in “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter, and sheltered
in the “7 Shtatori” quarter. Selim had gone out for shopping. At about
12.00, in the north of the town, during the protest of the Serbs for the
release of the Serbs arrested by KFOR and UNMIK police, some protesters
threw stones to the UNMIK police vehicles. Police beat several of them.
At 16.20, in the “Ibri” quarter, 5 Serbs led by Slavisha Joviq ill-treated
Luljeta Musli Kadriu and injured her left leg, due to what she had to seek
for medical assistance.
Recently,
Serbs have been entering the Albanian houses and flats and conducting the
registration. The Albanians, who dared to ask why they needed such data,
received answers “we have many displaced Serbs, therefore we need to shelter
them in one of your rooms”.
On
17 May, between 9.00 and 14.00, about 500 Serbs led by Milan Markoviq,
Slavisha Joviq, Miodrag Raliq, Dragan Tadiq, former postman Sasha etc.,
demonstrated in the north of the town and broke many windows of the UN
vehicles and the UNMIK police as well as the court in Mitrovica. At about
21.00, the house of a Serb was burned in the “Ibri” quarter.
On
19 May, between 9.00 and 14.00, about 200-300 Serbs led by Slavko Mandiq,
Miodrag Raliq, Milan Markoviq, Zharko Kosovac etc., demonstrated in the
north of the town in front of the court. They broke many windows and insulted
on a national basis the Albanians inside the building threatening them
with the words “we will do the same as in Prekaz”, “Chetnicks will return
to Mitrovica to slaughter the Albanians”, “Albanians cannot try the Serbs”
etc. They dispersed after the intervention of KFOR French and Polish soldiers
and the UNMIK police. About 70-80 Serbs demonstrated the next day demanding
the expulsion of the Albanians from the north of Mitrovica etc.
DRENAS: On 19 May, according to KFOR sources, a group of youngsters in Arllat hit with stones a lorry of the KFOR Russian soldiers and injured two soldiers.
RAHOVEC: On 19 May, the vacant house of a Roma was burned in Rahovec.
ZUBIN POTOK: On 21 May, between 14.00 and 24.30, Serbs from the village of Zupç, led by Razvigor Kasaloviq, Vlajko Vuqiniq etc., (they burned the villages of Koshtova, Zhabar i Epërm and Çabra during the war) blocked the village of Çabra. The pretext was the burning of a Serbian house in Zupç. KFOR Danish soldiers in Zubin Potok prevented the worst. 3 weeks ago, a Serb called Ristiq through the radio station “Evropa e lirë” threatened to block completely the village of Çabra, which is inhabited by Albanians.
The prisoners
SKËNDERAJ:
Osman Jakupi from Baks, arrested by the Serbian forces on 23 May 1999 in
Dashec, was released from the prison in Pozharevc (Serbia).
Sub-CDHRF
in Skënderaj informs that Kujtim Rrahmani from Açareva (Skënderaj),
i arrested last year in Çikatova (Drenas), was released on 21 April
2000. He was kept in prison under the name Muhamet Jetullahu from Çikatova
with the aim of hiding his identity.
RAHOVEC:
On 12 May, Arsim Morina from Malësia e Vogël, arrested by the
Serbian forces on 12 May 1998, was released from the prison in Nish (Serbia).
PODUJEVA:
On 15 May, Naim Kadrush Gashi (30) from Podujeva, arrested on 12 May 1999
by Milan Raduloviq, major of the Serbian police, was released from the
prison in Prokuple (Serbia). Naim claimed that there are still 55 Albanians
from Theranda, Prizren, Rahovec and Podujeva in that prison.
PRISHTINA:
On 17 May, in the meeting of the KPA, Mrs. Barbara Davis, head of the UNHCHR
in former Yugoslavia, stated that the imprisoned Albanians in the Serbian
prisons are used for labour in the military basis in Batajnica (Belgrade).
Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja
BUJANOC:
On 17 May, at about 14.00, an expedition of 16 Serbian policemen raided
the house of Xhemile Ramadan Ramadani, ill-treated the family members.
They threatened Fatime Ramadani (14) to kill her. Many things were damaged
in this house during the raid, which lasted 30 minutes.
At
about 23.00, on the road Tërnoc-Hodonoc, in the vicinity of the border
with Kosova, a Serbian police squad severely ill-treated Reshat Bajrami
and Habib Kamberi from Tërnoc and two other Albanians from Osllara.
On
21 May, in Lluçan, a Serbian police squad ill-treated Bajram Bediu
(about 60), while he was pasturing the cattle.
Recently,
Xhafer Ramadani (1953) from Zarbica and Mehmet Mehmeti (1953) from Novosella
were ill-treated at the police station in Vranja.
KFOR interventions
MITROVICA: On 20 May, at 13.45, on the Ibri Bridge, a French soldier ill-treated Dafina Lavdim Shita (1977), living in the “7 Shtatori” quarter, who was on her way back to her flat with her nephew Rron Bujar Bejtullahu (4). Dafina addressed the UNMIK police, who took her to the Meso des France to report the case.
VITI: Several days ago, about 10 KFOR soldiers raided the house of Halit Azem Shabiu from Gjylekara, a former KLA soldier, for the fifth time. They took out the family members and made them lie down for 5 hours. They were not allowed to move even when the children asked for food or water. Soldiers demolished the floor and the household goods. Even though they failed to find any weapons, soldiers handcuffed Halit and took him to the prison in the American military camp Bondsteel in Sojeva (Ferizaj).
Evidence on war criminals
BURIM (ISTOG): A list with the names of the Serbian paramilitaries that took part in the crimes against the Albanians was found in the house of Skender Xh. Kabashi in Gurrakoc. Other evidence was found in this house, such as: trenches, alarm technical equipment, barbed wire and anti-Albanian and anti-NATO slogans. The list contains the following names: Gjora Gjopaliq (leader of the group), Predrag Gjopaliq, Mirolub Milovanoviq, Dragan Shestoviq, Dragan Stoshiq, Zoran Radosavleviq, Dragan Milojeviq, Dushan Cakiq, Sërbolub Milosavleviq and Caka Stojçiq.
Delayed information:
MITROVICA:
On 2 May, Besim Zymer Brahimi (27) from Kçiq i Madh, arrested on
2 May 1999 with his 9 cousins, was released from the prison in Pozharevc
(Serbia).
Prishtina, 21 May 2000
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